Does This Darkness Have A Name?
by TinyDancer365
Summary: Damon has lost the only thing important in his life and now he must try to put the pieces of his life back together. Cassandra may be dead, but she will find her way back to Damon, no matter the cost. SEQUEL TO 'YOU AND I'.
1. Echo

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 1: Echo**

**Beta:**** HarleyQuinn88**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

_Hello, hello_

_Anybody out there? Cause I don't hear a sound._

_Alone, alone._

_I don't really know where the world is, but I miss it now._

Cassandra's brown eyes counted the cracks in the ceiling tiles for what must have been the thousandth time. She didn't know how long she had been awake for, but she knew that she was incredibly bored. She let out a loud sigh and looked around the room. She was unaware of her surroundings but it didn't bother her. She saw Elijah walk into the room and she quickly sat up, ready to greet him.

"_Elijah!_" She smiled but he didn't reply. He didn't even look at her. "_Elijah?_" She called again but again there was no reply. The Original's eyes were downcast, looking to where she was currently seated. She followed his gaze, turning over her shoulder to see herself lying down on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her skin was grey. Cassandra jumped up, bolting from the bed and soon saw that she was looking down at her own dead body. "_Oh…oh my god_." She whimpered as Elijah took the hand of the still body and held it in his.

He didn't say a word; he just held her cold hand and silently cried. Cassandra rested her hand on his shoulder and she could feel him, not like the time when Gloria had juju-ed her. The crisp fabric of his expensive suit brought her some kind of closure and familiarity, but why couldn't he see her? Cassandra knelt beside her own body and hesitantly reached her hand out to touch the hand that wasn't being held by Elijah. Her hand meshed with her dead one, almost as if they were becoming one. It felt like Cassandra was slipping a cold glove on her finger. Altogether, it was very eerie and unsettling that she could feel surfaces and people but her own body was a phenomenon of its own.

"_What the hell.._." She murmured.

"_Weird, right?_" Vanessa's voice made her turn.

"_Yeah...weird_." Cassandra nodded.

"_I'm sorry that we had to meet like this_." The blonde slung an arm around her friends shoulder.

Cassandra looked back at Vanessa curiously, "_What…what do you mean?_"

_I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name_

_Like a fool at the top of my lungs._

_Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright_

_But it's never enough_

_Cause my echo, echo_

_Is the only voice coming back._

_My shadow, shadow_

_Is the only friend that I have._

In the blink of an eye, she was transported to Mystic Falls Hospital. The white hallways were scarce, with only a couple of scrubs occupying them. Cassandra looked around for the reason why she could possibly be here until she spotted it.

Damon.

He was shouting at Meredith, quite loudly and attracting the attention of patients and nurses. Dr. Fell quickly pulled him into an empty room and Cassandra followed close behind them, but someone shoved her. She looked over her shoulder to see an elderly man who smiled at her. He had salt and pepper hair and could easily be a grandfather.

"_Excuse me. I'm sorry_." He said and Cassandra nodded. A nurse walked by and the man tried to stop her. He called her but she didn't even turn to look at him. It was like she didn't even hear him. The man tried to stop someone else, but he was given the same treatment. Frustrated, the man walked back to Cassandra to see that she was looking right at him and not through him.

"_Can you see me?_" The man asked and Cassandra nodded. "_Am...am I dead?_"

"_I.._." She trailed off as she heard the frantic footsteps of doctors wheeling in a patient on a gurney. Nurses were shouting orders and doctors were asking for all hands on deck with this patient. As the gurney passed Cassandra, she looked down at the linens to see that it was the very same man that knocked into her.

Another rush of wind and she was in a dimly lit room with Meredith and Damon. He seemed to have calmed down from his tantrum before and was sitting on the edge of an empty hospital bed. It looked as if neither Dr. Fell nor Damon could see Cassandra as well.

"Where's Cassandra?" Meredith asked and Cassandra could see Damon flinch.

"She's dead." He murmured.

"_No! No, I am not dead!_" Cassandra growled loudly but neither of them could hear her. "_Damon, I'm right here!_" She sat next to him on the bed.

"I'm sorry…" Dr. Fell murmured.

"Klaus is dead and now she is too." Damon rambled.

"_I am not! I am not dead!_" Cassandra yelled and stamped her feet.

"But Klaus made your bloodline." She shook her head. "You and Stefan should be dead too."

"Well, we're not." The vampire bit.

Meredith was ready to add something, but her pager buzzed at her side. She stole a look at it and sighed. "I have to be in surgery now, but are you okay, Damon?" She knew deep down that he wasn't. How could he be? He just lost the only person who meant everything to him. Damon didn't answer her; he just kept his eyes locked on nothing in particular. Dr. Fell gave Damon one last look before taking her leave and closing the door behind her.

_Listen, listen_

_I would take a whisper if that's all you had to give._

_But it isn't, isn't_

_You could come and save me and try to chase the crazy right out of my head._

Cassandra's eyes traced over the features of Damon's face, his jaw was taut, and his eyes were tense. She could faintly hear him growling in the back of his throat and she reached out a hand to touch him. Her fingertips stroked against his cheek and she could feel the tension in his jaw. Like Elijah, he didn't flinch at all when she touched him. The raven haired vampire suddenly bolted up from his seat and proceeded to pace around the room. Cassandra sat quietly on the bed and watched him, her inner self being tortured since she was unable to calm him.

He took up a lamp from the bedside table and launched it at the wall, sending it shattering into million pieces. Cassandra jumped back to avoid the glass projectiles that flew through the air. Damon growled ferociously as he pounded his fist into the wall by the door, hoping to dispel his anger but it did nothing. His fist was making huge dents and the paint started to chip and the drywall was quickly crumbling.

_I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name_

_Like a fool at the top of my lungs._

_Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright_

_But it's never enough_

_Cause my echo, echo_

_Is the only voice coming back._

_My shadow, shadow_

_Is the only friend that I have._

"_Damon…_" Cassandra whimpered. Her eyes stung with tears and her heart was breaking at the sight of him. He bounded towards the bed and Cassandra jumped off of it before he flipped it over, tossing it to the other side of the room. He continued to wreck the room while screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs as Cassandra stood huddled in the corner, unable to keep her eyes on the broken man before her. Once Damon's anger seemed to finally subside, he dropped to his knees on the cold floor, his tears were flowing freely now. He delivered one last hard punch to the floor, smashing and cracking the tiles. He was pretty sure his hand was broken and his knuckles bled, but that pain was nothing compared to the pain of losing Cassandra.

"I'm sorry…" He spoke out into the empty room. He wasn't apologizing for his damage to the room or his inability to understand why Cassandra had been taken from him, but he was sorry that there was nothing he could do to save her. He felt worthless, insignificant, and useless, he felt like he shouldn't deserve to live anymore. He was broken beyond repair; he didn't know how to start living again.

Cassandra slowly made her way towards Damon, her feet brushed against the pieces of broken glass and drywall. She kneeled behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her own tears stained her cheeks and she pressed her face into his back. She could feel his erratic heartbeat and could smell the leather of his jacket. Damon didn't move in her hold and for that she was thankful. Right now, she just wanted to hold him even though he couldn't hold her back.

"_I forgive you_." She whispered softly near his ear. Her guilt for leaving him was unbearable. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be her. If there was any way that she could crawl herself back from the dead, she would have done so. But, she was gone and she could now witness the effect of what her death was doing first hand to those who loved her. Cassandra held him tightly, crying into his shoulder as she felt some glass digging into her knees. Her small hands fisted his leather jacket, her nails scratching against the material. She wanted to hold onto him for forever and never let go. "_I love you so much, Damon_." Her voice cracked as she rocked him back and forth. Cassandra then felt her own body become weightless and a building white light was starting to blind her vision.

_I don't wanna be down and_

_I just wanna feel alive and_

_Get to see your face again_

_But till then…_

"_No…_" She begged. She didn't want to leave, not yet. She felt something pulling her away from Damon and fought it with every ounce of strength in her body. The force was too strong and she slowly felt her grip on Damon loosen until he was gone and she groped to feel him against her once more. "_Please, no! I love him! I love him!_"

_Just my echo, my shadow_

_You're my only friend and_

_I'm out on the edge and I'm screaming my name_

_Like a fool at the top of my lungs._

_Sometimes when I close my eyes I pretend I'm alright_

_But it's never enough_

The white light cleared and Cassandra was now able to see once more. She was no longer in the hospital room and Damon was gone as well. She didn't recognize this place at all. Then again, what was there to recognize? It was a place of just white light. Cassandra couldn't even call it a room because she wasn't sure where the walls began and the floor ended. It was just an infinite expanse of light. She was still crying and sniffling, longing to feel or to even see Damon again. Her hands shook at her sides, but Cassandra had to smile as she caught sight of her ring that was resting on her finger. Looks like she had gotten her wish to take it with her. This would serve as a reminder that Damon was hers no matter what.

Moving through the whiteness, Cassandra saw Vanessa approaching her. She was still as beautiful as ever, with her shiny blonde hair and her sparkling eyes. The two women stood eye to eye and Vanessa produced something from her jacket pocket.

"_Tissue?_" She held it out and the brunette let out a chuckle before taking it and wiping her tears.

"_Thanks. I didn't know they had tissues in heaven_." Cassandra joked.

"_Well, this isn't exactly heaven. Although, heaven is pretty awesome. You should come visit sometime._" Vanessa smiled brightly.

"_Wait, this isn't heaven?_" The brunette asked as she looked around. It sure did look like heaven.

"_Nope. This is kind of an in between. I call it 'limbo'_." She replied.

"_So, does this mean I'm not really dead?_" Cassandra cocked her head to the side.

"_Oh, no, you're dead. Dead as a doornail_." Vanessa nodded. "_Dead, dead, dead_." She tisked.

"_Gee, thanks. I feel so much better now_." She whined. "_Well, if I'm dead, can we go to heaven now?_"

"_Not yet_." The blonde shook her head. "_I took you here because I want you to do something really important_."

"_What is that?_"

"_I want you to pray_." Vanessa said softly. "_I want you to pray for the people on Earth who have to go on without you_." Cassandra looked back at her friend with questioning eyes but nodded mutely.

"_Well, I…_" Cassandra trailed off, unsure of where or how to start. "_I haven't prayed in a long time._"

"_Don't be difficult. It's easy!_" She smiled, but Cassandra seemed unfazed. "_Okay, I'll help you get started. What do you really care about?_" She asked.

"_Damon_." The hybrid replied instantaneously. "_And Stefan, Elena, Elijah. I care about everyone in Mystic Falls._"

"_I know you do_." Vanessa nodded. "_You want to be back with Damon?_"

"_No…_" Cassandra shook her head. She knew that she was dead and there was no changing that. Why would she pray for something that she knew couldn't happen? "_Yes, I do, but I know that it's impossible_." She sniffled and dried her tears. She was asked to pray and dammit, she would pray for him. "_I want him to be happy no matter what that means, even if it means that he finds someone else to love_." Her heart stung at the thought of Damon finding someone else. It pained her to imagine Damon holding another woman in his arms at night and whispering how much he loved her. But in the end, she'd rather see Damon happy with someone else than living alone and pushing people away from him. "_I want him to find someone who will give him all the love that he received from me. I want him to meet someone who'll see him always as I do now_." Her eyes were fresh with hot tears as a lump was lodged in her throat. It hurt her deep down to let him go for good, but she knew that Damon could never forget her. "_And if anyone breaks his heart, then I'll haunt their asses!_" Cassandra giggled at her attempt to make light of the situation and Vanessa laughed with her.

"_Now that's a prayer_." The blonde vampire smiled.

"_Yeah? It was good?_" She wiped her tears.

Vanessa nodded. "_It was perfect. I'll get right on it_." The vampire then reached out toward Cassandra, placing a hand on her chest and the brunette jerked back harshly. Cassandra flinched as she felt like deadly volts of electricity were passing through her body.

_Cause my echo, echo_

_Oh, my shadow, shadow_

"_Ow! God, Vanessa! That hurt!_" Cassandra cried and Vanessa touched her again, sending pain through her once again. "_Dammit! Stop that!_"

"_I'll see you around, kid_." Vanessa hushed before touching Cassandra one last time. The hybrid screamed out as she felt the floor vanish beneath her feet and she fell. She saw Vanessa waving down at her as she continued to fall farther down. The white lights faded around her and Cassandra was quickly enveloped in darkness.

_Hello, hello_

_Anybody out there?_

* * *

**Please review :)**


	2. Growing Pains

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 2: Growing Pains**

**Beta:**** un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

"We have all day till she has to feed, Damon. That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this." Stefan said.

"There is no way out of it!" Damon snapped. "We all know that drill. You feed or you die. There is no door number three."

"I was ready to die! I was supposed to die!" Elena cried hysterically. "I don't…I don't wanna be a vampire! I can't be a vampire!" She screamed and fisted her hair.

Stefan reached forward and gripped Elena's wrists, trying to get her to let go of her hair which she was currently yanking at. "Hey, listen to me. We'll help you get through this, Elena."

Cassandra watched the endearing scene before her and nearly felt her heart break for Elena. She knew that this would be the hardest choice that she ever had to make, but she was running out of time to make that choice. In all honesty, she didn't know how she'd gotten into Elena's house or even in her bedroom. She just remembered falling down, and down, and down until she heard a distant murmur of voices. Coming to her senses, she had learned more about Elena's horrible accident on the Wickery Bridge. Stefan moved to sit on the edge of Elena's bed and hugged her close to his chest, cradling her and whispering any kind of words to calm her down while Damon sat quietly in the corner.

Her poor Damon. Her poor, broken Damon.

The raven haired vampire clenched his fists and growled at the two. He would even go so far as to call himself green with envy as Stefan and Elena embraced. Damon was angry with his brother that all he had to do was save Elena and he couldn't even do that right! Instead, he saved that idiot quarterback! He kept telling himself that if it was Cassandra in that kind of situation, he would have gladly let someone else die, he didn't care who. Even if Cassandra begged with him to save someone else before her, he wouldn't stand for it. He would save her no matter the cost, however he was currently stewing over the fact that Cassandra was dead somewhere with Elijah. He fiddled with his daylight ring for a moment before rising from his spot on the window seat and going downstairs.

"_How's the other side treating you?"_ An unfamiliar voice shook Cassandra from her daydream and turned to see and woman in her mid forties or fifties with reddish hair and dark skin.

Cassandra gave a shrug and a sigh, "_It's painful to watch everything."_

The woman nodded in understanding and moved closer to the ghostly brunette. _"Don't I know it. A ghost can only watch so much before wanting to not feel the pain anymore."_

"_I miss them."_ She said absently. _"I just want to be there for them and tell them it will all be alright."_

"_We can't do that. We only have so much power here on the other side."_ The darker woman then walked out into the hallway, giving Elena and Stefan their privacy while she motioned for Cassandra to follow her which she did.

"_Do you think there is any hope for Elena? Will she have to transition?"_ Cassandra asked once they were outside.

"_She will turn. There is no doubt about it."_

"_But, Stefan said that Bonnie will–"_

"_My granddaughter thinks that she can tamper with dark magic like that and not suffer the consequences, but she will be sadly mistaken if she tries to interfere with destiny."_ The woman cut her off angrily.

"_Granddaughter? Bonnie is your granddaughter?"_ Cassandra cocked her head to the right. Now she knew why this woman looked familiar. _"You're Sheila."_ Cassandra spoke and the woman nodded.

_"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Cassandra."_ The old witch smiled at her.

_"Am I a ghost?"_ She asked.

Sheila nodded. _"Yes, but I know that you want to return to the world of the living."_

_"I do, but...I know that I can't."_ She shrugged sheepishly.

_"Well, let's not rule out the possibilities now."_ She said and Cassandra's ears perked up at the hopefulness in the witch's voice. _"I can make you a deal."_ Sheila's confession made Cassandra's heart stop.

_"What?"_ She questioned and the witch nodded. _"Tell me how."_

_"Make Elena feed."_

_"How can I do that? I'm a ghost. No one can see me, let alone hear me."_Cassandra grumbled.

_"If you can get Elena to feed, then you are free to go back into your own body."_

_"With all due respect ma'am, you don't know me so why on earth would you want to help me?"_

_"Because your death caused an imbalance in nature. Bonnie was able to transfer Klaus's spirit into another body that is why he survived. Once his soul was grounded within a host body, it allowed you to walk among the living as a ghost. You're not fully dead and not fully alive either. You're just on the border."_ Sheila explained and Cassandra couldn't believe her ears. She was now being given a chance to go back to living with Damon. _"Your friend Vanessa also drives a hard bargain."_

Cassandra let out a giggle. _"Yeah, she's a pain in the ass, that one."_

"_She's your guardian angel and was pushing to have your death reversed in nature."_She then gestured for Cassandra to make her way down the stairs. _"You looked out for her well being in life and she will do the same for you."_ The two women reached the ground floor and Cassandra found herself standing behind Damon in the kitchen. He looked through Elena's cabinets for some kind of alcohol to drown his sorrows in and settled on a bottle of brown liquid. He uncapped it and poured some into a tumbler before downing it and filling it up again. She stood at the island, placing her hands atop it and Damon turned to set his glass on the same granite surface. His eyes didn't meet hers as he swirled his drink around and Cassandra reached a hand out to touch the one that was resting on the island. Her soft touch didn't register with him as he continued to drink and she continued to watch him. They really were worlds apart even though they were occupying the same space in the kitchen.

"_How come I can touch him and he can't feel it?"_ She asked quietly as if he'd hear her.

"_Like I said, you're in between being completely dead and completely alive."_ Sheila said from behind her. _"You two could establish some kind of connection if you push from your side and he pulls from his one."_ Cassandra remembered that Jeremy said the same thing in Denver about contacting Rose.

"_I want to go back, but…"_ Cassandra shook her head and moved herself to stand beside Damon. _"I can't make Elena drink. It's not fair."_

"_If she doesn't drink, then she dies. You know that just as well as she does."_ Sheila noted pointedly.

"_But she never wanted this for herself. I want her to make the decision for herself. I couldn't force it upon her."_

"_You would give up the chance to be alive again for Elena's choice?"_ The witch questioned and Cassandra looked up at Damon. She missed him. Oh, God did she miss him with every cell in her ghostly body. She placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to turn him to face her but he moved on his own, bored with his current position that he was holding. He looked over her shoulder through the tiny window that rested above the sink and Cassandra cupped his face.

"_C'mon, Damon. Look at me, please."_ She begged desperately, but he wasn't pulling from his side at all.

"_His mind is closed because he is angry with himself and Stefan."_ The witch sighed.

"_Himself?"_ Cassandra questioned.

"_He blames himself for your death."_

"_No…he can't! My death wasn't his fault."_

"_He doesn't feel that way."_

"_But–"_ Cassandra stopped herself as she saw Stefan walk into the kitchen.

"Way to get her hopes up for something that's never happened in the history of vampirism." Damon growled at his younger brother.

"You know what? You weren't there the day Elena looked me in the eye and told me that she absolutely never wanted this." Stefan bit back.

"Then you shouldn't have let her die." He gulped down another drink.

"What did you expect me to do? Go against Elena's wishes?" The younger Salvatore asked incredulously.

"Uh, yes! If it were me, I would saved them both, that way this whole situation would have never happened!" Damon decided to leave the tumbler and drink from the bottle now.

"If that were you and Cassandra told you to save someone else, you'd–"

"Yes, I would save her and let the other die. No question about it."

"That's awfully selfish, brother." Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I _am_ that selfish." Damon snarled as he pushed passed his brother, taking the bottle with him. Stefan closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He knew that his brother was hurting beyond all reasoning, but this was a time where he needed his brother by his side to help him. Cassandra stood watching quietly and just allowed the conversation between the brothers to sink in. She had heard first hand that Damon would go against her word to save her even if she kicked and screamed for him to do otherwise. He was selfish, but she would do the same for him. Perhaps in someone else's eyes, that made them selfish, but they loved one another. There was nothing else to it.

"_I'll do it."_ Cassandra turned to face Sheila and the witch smiled.

"_Then let's get started."_

* * *

Pastor Young made long strides down the pristine white hallways of Mystic Falls Hospital with some deputies trailing behind him. He gestured for some of them to check some rooms as he continued to his path for Dr. Fell who was standing at a nurse's station speaking with some residents.

"_Damn, how the hell did we move that fast?"_ Cassandra looked around.

"_The beauty of being a ghost. You just think of where you want to be and then you let yourself go there."_ Sheila replied.

"Pastor Young!" She greeted with a smile and excused herself from the nurses that she was speaking with. "To what do we owe the honor? And don't tell me it's your blood pressure again."

"Honestly, Dr. Fell, I wish it was." He replied and turned to the deputy standing beside him. "Blood banks in the basement. One of you, sweep the rooms." He ordered and Dr. Fell's nose wrinkled.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Adding a few security measures. The blood in this place has a habit of flying off the shelves."

_"I don't like this Pastor Young guy. What's his deal?"_Cassandra crossed her arms across her chest.

_"He wants to cleanse this town of anything supernatural."_ Sheila scowled at him as he ordered the deputies to check the blood bank.

_"I can already tell that he'll be a hard one to get rid of."_ Cassandra crossed her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes at the Pastor's back. _"If I was alive..."_

"Who gave you that authority?" The doctor tried to act as calm and composed as possible, but the pastor's accusations were making her nervous.

"The Council. They've entrusted me to secure the town and unlike some of our founding families, I don't have conflicting interests." He added snidely and turned to walk down the hallway.

Meredith was stunned into silence, but she quickly tried to overcome it as she bolted down the hallway after him. "What is that supposed to mean?" She hissed.

"Alaric Saltzman told us everything, Meredith. Probably time to start looking for a new job." Pastor Young left a very shocked doctor in the hospital.

"_Ouch,"_ Cassandra muttered.

"_He means business."_Sheila shook her head.

* * *

Cassandra then found herself within the Salvatore boarding house. All this ghostly travel was starting to give her a headache. She walked along the familiar hallways until she came to the living room where she found Damon sitting in front of the fireplace. A fire wasn't burning, but he was nursing a glass of bourbon and blood close to him. She knew that she was wasting time and burning daylight, but she just needed to see him. Her heart ached for him as she walked to stand behind him. Her brown eyes watched him carefully and they watered with tears at the thought that he felt so guilty for her death.

"_If only you knew what you've done for me in my life. I wish I could tell you, but you can't even hear me."_She whispered sadly. A stray tear fell from Cassandra's eye, trailing down her cheek before landing on Damon's shoulder. The vampire suddenly jumped in his seat and stole a glance at his shoulder before looking up at the ceiling. Cassandra's breath was caught in her throat, he felt her. He actually felt her. Damon's nose wrinkled at the thought of the ceiling leaking and he felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He stood abruptly and turned around, placing a hand where the tingles were, little did he know it but he was facing Cassandra._"Damon?"_ She called him softly and watched his every move. He still couldn't see her, but he felt her. As strange as it was, he could feel her very presence. It had to be her, it couldn't be anyone else. His eyes narrowed as if squinting to try and find where she was hiding but it would serve no purpose. Although, he could picture her standing in front of him with her big brown eyes and her bright smile. He would never forget her face as long as he lived. Cassandra's eyes watered even more as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. This was a breakthrough, a huge one at that. Damon slowly lifted his hand to where he pictured her cheek would be and gently brushed the back of his hand there. Cassandra let out a long sigh as his warmth radiated all over her. She cradled his hand against her skin, angling his hand to make it he was cupping her cheek and stared up at him. _"It's me, Damon. I'm here."_

"Cassandra," He smiled even though he could hear her words, he knew that she was standing right there in the room with him. "Please, come back to me." He whispers were so quiet that they were meant for only the two of them to hear.

"_I will. I am trying, Damon. Please, don't give up on me."_ She stood on her tippy toes and gently pressed her lips against his. Damon's eyes fell closed as the sensation of her soft lips brushing his. Now there was no doubt in his mind that she was standing there with him right now. He completely believed that she was doing everything in her power to get back to him. Reluctantly, Cassandra pulled away and stared up into his bright blue eyes. Goose bumps rose over her skin as she felt that he was really looking into her eyes and not through her. Damon lifted a hand to his lips, his fingertips touching where they were tingling with a warm sensation that resonated through his entire being. Cassandra gave him a small smile before kissing him one last time and blurring out of the house.

* * *

In a rushed whirlwind, Cassandra then found herself in the old witch house with Bonnie, Caroline, Jeremy and Tyler.

"_Whoa! All this ghost travel is making my head spin."_ She grumbled.

"When can we start this spell, Bonnie? I'm getting antsy in this body." Tyler growled and Cassandra raised an eyebrow. In this body?

"Bring Tyler back!" Caroline pouted like a child and the realization dawned on Cassandra that Klaus had just happened to use Tyler's body as a host.

"She can't do it without hurting herself." Jeremy fought with the two.

_"Hello?"_ Cassandra waved her hands around in the air in front of Jeremy's face. _"Oh, come on! You can see me, Jer! Don't play dumb!"_She huffed and took up one of Bonnie's heavy candles. She launched it at Jeremy's head and the teen cried out in agony.

"Ow! What the hell?" He rubbed his head as all of them looked around for the source.

"Who else is here?" Tyler asked warily.

"Could it be the spirits of the dead witches?" Caroline asked into the old house.

Jeremy focused on his pull to the other side and he was able to see Cassandra standing near Klaus's coffin, her hip jutted out and her arms crossed. "Cassandra?"

"_It's about damn time! I've been standing her for like five minutes!"_ She grumbled.

"Cassandra? But she died!" Caroline shrieked.

"_Okay, can we all get passed the part that I died?"_ The ghost asked rhetorically and turned to Tyler. _"You are supposed to be dead! Can't you do anything right?"_She jabbed a finger at him.

"Uh, she's pissed at you, dude." Jeremy held his hands up in surrender.

"Ah, yes. How is our little ghostly friend?" Tyler smirked.

"_You're lucky that you're not in your own body! You'd be castrated by now!"_ Cassandra growled.

"I trust she's still a touchy thing." The hybrid chuckled. "My condolences, Jeremy." That comment earned him a candle being thrown into the side of his head and he snarled.

"_Keep talking like that and the next candle will be up your ass!"_ She held up another one to make her point.

"Guys! Can we regroup and talk about how the council is completely crazy?" Caroline jumped in. "You can bet that they took Stefan and Elena."

"Yeah, but where?" Jeremy asked.

"I can find Elena and bring her soul back to us." Bonnie said positively.

"_No, no, no! You can't do that!"_ Cassandra interjected.

"Why can't she do that?" Jeremy asked.

"_Because her grandmother has already warned her once."_ Sheila's voice made Bonnie stiffen. _"Cassandra, focus on what you have to do. I'll deal with this."_

"_Yes ma'am!"_Cassandra saluted and vanished from the old witch house.

* * *

_"Come on, Elena."_ Cassandra paced back and forth in the woods. How could she manage to find Elena if she was a ghost? And if by chance she was able to find Elena, how could she communicate that to anyone? She and Damon had some sort of connection, but she knew that she had to try everything she could to fix this. She sighed deeply and stopped her pacing, she absolutely didn't want to resort to this, but desperate times called for desperate measures. _"If I was a doppelganger, where would I hide?"_ It was corny, but she'd try anything at this point. She then saw flashes of an open field with a large wooden building that was nestled in some trees at the start of the woods. Iron barred cells lined the inside hallways and three were currently occupied. Cassandra could smell the immense amounts of vervain that was being ventilated into the room and it was nearly suffocating her. Stefan and Rebekah were occupying cells across from one another, both weak from the lethal concoction. A slow drumming heartbeat and deep, labored breathing took Cassandra to the cell next to Stefan. A very pale Elena was leaned up against the wall with her eyes closed. Cassandra willed herself to appear inside the cell and she kneeled in front of Elena.

"Elena? You with me?" Stefan called through the thick cell wall.

Elena nodded slowly and cleared her throat. "Yeah...I'm here." Her voice rasped.

"I love you so much." The green eyed vampire cooed and Cassandra smiled sweetly. Their connection was much like the one she shared with Damon.

The transitioning vampire smiled as well, her eyes still closed. "I love you too, Stefan."

Cassandra took Elena's hand, grasping it lightly, but firmly and shook it lightly. _"Elena,"_ She called and the doppelganger cracked open her eyes. Elena's tired eyes took time to focus themselves, but once they did, she was in shock that she was seeing someone who was dead. Cassandra was just as shocked since Elena had been the only person to see her. The two were looking at one another and actually seeing each other. Elena tried to move her lips to form words, but Cassandra signaled for her to be quiet. _"Just hold on for a little longer, okay? We're coming to get you."_

The teen looked back at her curiously but nodded. "You died." She murmured.

"Elena?" Stefan inquired but neither woman answered him. "Who are you talking to?"

_"I know I did, but I'm working on it."_ Cassandra smirked. _"Tell Stefan to hang on too."_

"Okay. I will." Elena said tiredly and leaned her head against the wall, resting her eyes once more. Cassandra once again found herself in the Gilbert house to hear Damon, Matt, Meredith and Liz talking about where they could have taken Stefan and Elena.

"It takes a lot to hold a vampire." Damon said. "Reinforced steel, iron doors…"

"And with your vervain and Alaric's weapons, they could be anywhere." Liz added.

"C'mon guys, think." Meredith pleaded and Cassandra then started to rifle around for some paper. She ran to a little end table, yanked open the drawer, and searched frantically. All four heads in the room turned at the sound and sight of the drawer opening and they were frozen in horror that there seemed to be no cause of this. Cassandra tossed some items from the drawer onto the floor and huffed in aggravation that finding a pen and paper was a difficult task in the Gilbert home.

Liz warily inched forward and removed the gun from her holster, "What the hell?" She pointed the gun at the invisible force, ready to shoot, but Damon placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Wait," He then watched a piece of paper be set on the table and the pen scribbled on it in thin air. Damon moved closer to the end table to see that words were being written across the paper.

_Pastor Young_

"Pastor Young?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Damon, who is writing this?" Meredith asked.

"It's Cassandra." The vampire smirked.

"What? How can that be? It's not possible." Matt wrinkled his nose. The paper suddenly crumpled into a ball and lobbed itself at Matt's head. He ducked but it managed to hit his shoulder.

"Apparently it's very possible," Damon quipped and saw another piece of paper being set down on the table. "C'mon, Cass. What about Pastor Young?" He asked and the pen scrawled wildly on the paper before spelling out another message.

_Cattle Ranch!_

"Cattle Ranch?" Damon asked aloud.

"Yeah! Now it makes sense! Pastor Young's cattle ranch could easily be modified to hold a vampire or even a few vampires." Matt said.

"Then let's go!" Liz ushered everyone out of the house while Damon stayed behind and fiddled with the paper in his hands. He couldn't will his feet to move as he watched the pen pick itself back up again and start writing. This time it was slower and less frantic. Damon stood next to the table just in time to see the pen place itself down on the dark stained wood.

_I love you._

It was written in elegant swirls and those three simple endearing words gave Damon some inclination that not all hope was lost.

"I love you too." He whispered into the empty house before grabbing his leather jacket and heading out the door.

* * *

Stefan gripped the deputy's head in his hands, smashing and bashing it against the bars of his cell until little spatters of blood decorated his face. He and Rebekah had created enough of a distraction to get Elena some blood before she died from not feeding. He let the body drop to the ground, nudging it as close to Elena as possible and the blood started to pool on the cold, hard floor. The teen crawled as close to the bars as she could and reached her hand through, but she was just short of the puddle. Cassandra crouched behind Elena and gently eased her closer to the blood, but the bars were restricting her from moving any further.

_"Come on, Elena. Just a little more!"_ She begged and Elena flailed her arm even more, just coming short of the pool of dark blood.

"Please, help me." Elena whimpered as she stretched even more.

"You can do it, Elena!" Stefan spurred her on from the cell next to her.

_"Listen to him, sweetie. You're almost there. You can't give up now."_ Cassandra took a hold of Elena's arm, extending it through the bars. _"Remember what I told you the night of the sixties dance? Stefan loves you and he'd spend his whole life with you. You know that, right?"_ Elena nodded as she remembered that very heart to heart she shared with Cassandra. The two were never really close before then, but after that, the two women held a higher respect for one another. They would do anything for the ones they loved without hesitation. _"You are so strong, Elena and you'll continue to be strong, but you can't if you don't drink."_

"I can't reach it..." The doppelganger cried and Cassandra pushed against Elena even more but an unknown force slammed her against the opposite wall of the cell. The bricks crumbled beneath her body and she felt the very air in her lungs being sucked out of her.

"_What…what the hell is happening to me?"_ Cassandra whimpered weakly as she tried to pull herself off the wall. She managed to claw her way back to Elena before a sharp pain gripped her heart. Little fleeting whispers hissed in her ears, the spirits of the dead witches were calling her back to the ghostly abyss that she'd be stuck in forever. She was running out of time to help Elena.

* * *

Bonnie continued her chanting as she held Tyler's head in her hands. She could feel her magic surging through every fiber in her body. The magic she was tampering with was dark and dangerous. She knew that Grams would be angry at her for tampering with the dark magic, but she had to make sacrifices to save Tyler from Klaus's wrath. She could feel Klaus's soul exiting Tyler's body and she then concentrated on getting him into his own body which was starting to smell from being in there for too long. She now knew that Cassandra's spirit would be sucked back into her own body. Tyler's own soul was waking up as he moved his own body at his will. He opened his eyes and smiled widely to see Caroline there with him.

"_I warned you, child!"_ Shelia growled as she appeared in front of Bonnie and the young witch stopped her chanting. _"I warned you to stay away!"_

"What's happening? Let me go!" Bonnie yelled as her Grams held onto her hands tightly.

"_I can't."_ The witch murmured as she spied dark veins crawling up her arms. _"You made your choice! Now they're taking it out on me!"_She screamed.

"I'm sorry, Grams! They can't do this to you! Please, don't do this to her!" She begged but the spirits were deaf to her pleas. Bonnie's grandmother writhed as the veins were now covering her face. The young witch continued to plead for forgiveness from the spirits, but they didn't listen to her.

* * *

Cassandra growled against the force of the witches trying to place her back in her own body and blurred herself to the opposite side of the cell. She swiped her fingers through the blood, leaving some trails on the cement floor. Rebekah saw a hand print being pushed into the blood but it was quickly covered up as the deputy continued to bleed out. Her eyes widened at the ghostly motion, she's seen enough voodoo for one day. Cassandra inclined her dripping, bloody hand to Elena and smeared the crimson liquid on her lips. Elena's mouth opened and her tongue darted out to clean the blood from around her mouth and swallow it.

She'd done it. She completed her transition.

A single tear slipped from the corner of Elena's eye as she gave up her last bit of human life that she held so near and dear to her heart. Cassandra knew that turning was never something that Elena wanted, hell; it was never something any of them wanted. Not Stefan, not Damon or even Rebekah or herself, but eternity was a high price to pay for the strings of their mortality being severed so short.

Elena looked up at Cassandra with her tired brown eyes, but she could her strength returning back to her. "Thank you." She whispered softly.

_"Don't thank me yet."_ Cassandra frowned. She knew that Elena being a baby vampire would put a strain on everyone, Elena more so than anyone. She felt the slightest twinge of guilt making Elena feed just so she could get back inside her body. Who even knew if Sheila kept her word? The same sudden, sharp pain gripped Cassandra's heart yet again, making her double over. She gritted her teeth and clawed at her chest as the pain started to radiate and became more intense. Elena squinted her eyes as Cassandra's form became more and more transparent until she disappeared completely. Cassandra felt herself disappearing and she hoped deep down that Sheila would keep her word and that she wouldn't just evaporate into nothing.

* * *

"Take him and put him with the rest." A deputy ordered as he kicked Damon's side as he lay on the ground. He'd had a plan to take Matt with him, bait him for Pastor Young to give up Stefan and Elena but all that got him was a shotgun bullet in his chest. Another deputy bent down to pick up the unconscious vampire, but Damon quickly leapt up and disarmed the two deputies. Tonight was just not working out for him. Damon let out a growl as he bounded down the steps of the ranch house. Blood dribbled down his chin, making him look all the more menacing. He reached Stefan's and Elena's cells and tried to yank at the iron bars. He was able to bend them slightly, but the shouting of the approaching deputies halted him.

"Hands up! Now!"

"Get on the ground!"

"I want your hands were I can see 'em!"

The vampire growled low in his chest and crouched on his haunches, ready to attack the Sheriffs men. His eyes zeroed in on one of them just in time to hear a gunshot echo off the walls. A deputies head exploded, blood and guts shooting everywhere and the remaining body crumpled to the ground. Damon froze while the other deputies pointed their guns at the invisible rouge shooter.

"Pastor? Pastor Young?" One of them called.

"Even he can't save you now." A dark voice purred before another set of gunshots went off. Shots were fired from both sides and the vampires in the present ducked out of the way. Elena huddled in the corner, covering her ears from the clamorous sounds of the gunshots being fired. The rest of them all watched in utter shock as each deputy fell to the floor with a single bullet between the eyes, a bull's-eye. Once each deputy was killed, the remaining vampires could hear the sound of a gun being reloaded, cocking it to prepare for anyone else who might stand in the way. The click of heels against the floor turned everyone's attention as the master assassin made their way toward them. Elena tried to press herself into the wall while Stefan and Rebekah watched intently, narrowing their eyes to search for the new presence. As the figure emerged from the shadows, each face dropped and each pair of eyes was wide. It was so quiet within the ranch house that the sound of rat scurrying inside an empty cell could be heard. Damon's eyes peered into the shadows just as the figure stopped short of a pool of light was coming from a hanging lamp on the ceiling. The figure took another step forward, its entire body being illuminated by the light. Her lips twisted into a smirk as she propped a rifle over her shoulder and jutted her hip out.

"Guess whose back." Cassandra grinned. Everyone in the room stared back at her in disbelief. This had to be some kind of joke that she was alive again. Damon's face was unreadable, his blue eyes held an expression of disbelief but he couldn't bring himself to use his voice. Cassandra sauntered over towards the cells, gripping the bars and stretching them to let Stefan and Elena out. The two vampires embraced tightly, happy to be in each other's arms again. Cassandra moved hesitantly to Rebekah's cell, but she was suddenly whipped around and slammed up against the bars. Damon's lips crashed onto hers before she had a chance to protest. His lips claimed hers in a passionate kiss as his arms wove into her hair. Cassandra kissed him back with just as much fierceness and whimpered softly against his lips as Damon's tongue slipped inside her mouth. They dueled for dominance, but the fight ended with Damon nibbling at Cassandra's bottom lip. His body was pressed tightly up against hers and she purred at finally being able to hold him and touch him and kiss him. Damon pulled away reluctantly, scared that if he opened his eyes that she would be gone, but she stared up at him. A smile graced her slightly swollen lips.

"I thought you'd never do that." She giggled.

Damon's hands held her face, his fingertips caressing her soft skim, "You're alive. You're really alive."

"I told you not to give up on me." Cassandra then switched their positions before attacking his lips.

"Oh, bloody hell! You two are disgusting!" Rebekah's groaning made the couple stop and glare at her.

"Let's get out of here. Elena needs to be home before sunrise." Stefan hugged his new baby vampire close to him as they climbed up the stairs. Damon and Cassandra followed but they were forgetting someone.

"Hello? I'm still in here!" Cassandra turned over her shoulder at a pale Rebekah who was trying to yank at the iron bars. The hybrid stalked over to the cell, giving the blonde Original a once over before stretching the bars open wide enough. Just as Rebekah was through, Cassandra shoved her back inside and tackled her to the ground. Her hands found Rebekah's throat and she squeezed tightly.

"After all you've done, why should I let you walk free?" Cassandra gritted angrily as her nails dug into Rebekah's skin.

"You can't kill me!" Rebekah choked.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I can't cause pain." The hybrid lifted up Rebekah only to smash her head into the floor. She leaned down, getting in Rebekah's face and growled menacingly. "You better watch your back, you little, blonde bitch!" She let Rebekah go and rose from the ground, still keeping her eyes trained on her.

"Let's get out of here before some more deputies decide to crash the party." Damon placed a hand on her shoulder as if to deter her from beating Rebekah to a pulp.

* * *

"I still don't understand it." Damon murmured as Cassandra walked out of the bathroom with a towel in her hair. She had the desperate need to shower since she smelled like death.

"I thought I explained it to you already." Cassandra sighed as she shook her hair out of the towel and her damp curls settled against her shoulder.

"I know, but I can't wrap my head around it." He shook his head and downed his glass of bourbon. Cassandra eyed his tense shoulders and walked over to the edge of the bed, climbing on and situating herself behind him.

"I don't really get it either, but my death was a mistake." She started to knead his shoulders and she could feel him somewhat relaxing. Damon didn't say anything as her fingers dug into his muscles. "You've been very quiet since we got home."

The vampire simply nodded before letting out a deep sigh and rubbing his face. "I just don't feel like talking."

"You don't have to," Cassandra kissed the back of his neck and she could feel him shudder slightly. "But, I want you to listen." He didn't answer her, so she took that as a chance to speak. "Damon, I know that you feel guilty about my death."

"But–" Damon turned to face her but she placed a finger on his lips.

"I heard you say it earlier today. You shouldn't feel guilty." She implored.

"You know why I feel guilty?" He asked heatedly and Cassandra remained silent. "I couldn't do anything to help you! I was completely useless and helpless! I'm angry that I couldn't do a damn thing! I would have sacrificed everything for you! Hell, I'd even have them kill me instead! If I had the chance to save you, I would take it no matter who I killed in the process! It wouldn't matter to me because I am that selfish! People tell me it's wrong to be that way, but you're my world, my everything! There's no point in me hanging around if you're gone!" His eyes were tinged with a bit of red and his chest rose and fell with each breath as he tried to calm his anger. Damon then stood and poured himself more of his own poison, downing it before pouring another glass. Cassandra didn't say a word; she just sat at the edge of the bed, listening and watching intently. He stood at the vanity table, his eyes meeting their reflection in the mirror. "I felt like I was being punished...I asked myself, what the hell did I do wrong to deserve this kind of pain? I thought that you were being taken away from me because I was a bad person. Then I figured that I wasn't good enough for you. I mean, I've never been good enough for anybody. Not my father, not Stefan, not for anyone!" His statements only seemed to escalate and he grew more disgusted with the man who was staring back at him. Damon launched his fist into a mirror, cracking his image. The glass shards embedded themselves in his hand and sliced at his skin while rest of the pieces shattered to the floor. Cassandra continued to watch him and listen, hanging onto every word. Damon paced like a caged animal while opening and closing his healing fist. She finally rose from the bed and made her way over to him. She took his hand in hers, cradling it gently till the cuts healed.

"Don't ever think that you're not good enough for me." She spoke and kissed the back of his hand. "You know, I tried talking to you today, but I knew that you couldn't hear me. So, I just didn't speak. Do you want to know what I would have said?" She asked him softly. His eyes didn't show any sign of telling her not to continue, if anything they seemed to be begging for her speak words of comfort to him. "You are my hero. You are everything I've ever wanted and more. You are not a bad person. Everything you do is to protect me. Most people would kill for that kind of love and devotion, even if they could only feel it for a second." Her words touched him deep inside and that warmth began to emanate throughout his entire body. Cassandra dropped his hand from her grip and cupped his cheeks. "I know that you would have saved me no matter the cost. But you know something, Damon? You did save me. You saved me in every way that a person can be saved. Without you, I'd just be wandering the earth with no rhyme or reason. _You_ gave my life a purpose." She stressed as little tears slid down her cheeks. "And you gave me the greatest gift I could ever have. You loved me, Damon, for who I am. You loved every delusional, dark corner of me and I can't ever thank you enough for that." Cassandra's voice shook as she stroked her fingertips over his now wet cheeks. "There isn't anyone who loves me the way you do, and I could never love anyone else as much as I love you."

Damon took her hands in his, holding them against his face. "Don't ever leave me again." He begged desperately.

"Only if you promise to never leave me." She pulled his lips down onto hers, sealing their eternal promise to one another. Lips and teeth mingled and limbs tangled as they stripped each other of their clothing and dropped down onto Damon's massive bed. The silk sheets caressed Cassandra's skin in such a familiar way that made her body melt under Damon's. Every inch of his body was pressed against hers as they readied themselves to be joined as one once again. A moan tore itself from Cassandra's throat as Damon brushed his erection against her sensitive bundle of nerves in a teasing fashion. His ice blue eyes watched her writhe wantonly, eating up the naked image of her. His hands ran over the expanse of her proud breasts, her taut belly, and her silken thighs before gripping his manhood and gently pushing inside her. Not a word was spoken as they stared into one another's souls. Damon gripped her hips tightly, digging his thumbs into her hipbones and rotating her lower body in small, tight circles. He thrust deep inside her and she clung to him. Her nails raked down his strong back and shoulders, splitting the skin and causing blood to seep from the scratches only to heal back up again. Damon took up her bottom lip between his teeth, gently nibbling at the plump skin before biting down roughly.

Cassandra's hips gyrated wildly, meeting each of Damon's powerful thrusts. She swiveled her body atop Damon's and used her hands to brace herself on his hard chest. Damon groaned as he leaned up and hugged her body close to his. His mouth closed over a puckered nipple and his tongue swirled around the peak. Cassandra ran her hands through Damon's dark hair as she continued to buck against him. A light coat of sweat covered their bodies as they rocked each other to their completion. Damon weaved a hand in her hair and yanked, exposing her neck and allowing his teeth to brush over the skin. She moaned as Damon blurred them, quickly situating her on her stomach, pressed against the mattress. He still continued to trust into her while keeping her pinned to the bed. His hand was still wound in her hair; pulling and he leaned down to her neck. He attacked the left side with his tongue, lapping at her pulse which was pounding against her skin. Cassandra wiggled her body, trying to roll him over, but Damon loomed over her, holding her down so he could be in complete control.

Damon's pulsing arousal twinged inside her, he was nearing his completion and he could feel that she was nearing hers too. She tightened around him and her fists clenched the sheets. Damon's lips were at her ear, whispering sweet words of love and affection which made Cassandra melt in his hold. The hybrid rolled him over in a moment of weakness but he was quick to establish his dominance, hovering over her. He watched her pleasure ridden face twist and contort with each nearing step to her release. Damon danced a hand between their bodies and his thumb strummed her clit in time with his thrusts. Cassandra's back suddenly arched, her muscles convulsed and her mouth fell slack as she let out a string of moans. Her orgasm washed over them both like waves only to lazily drag them back into the depths of the infinite ocean of ecstasy. Damon's body snapped like an archer's bow as his own orgasm rocked him to his core. He spilled his essence along her quivering walls before collapsing on top of her. Cassandra's arms looped loosely around his neck and pulled his lips to hers. They trembled against one another from the power of their orgasms. Damon broke their kiss to steal a glance down at his lover. Her eyelashes were falling shut over her eyes, unable to keep herself awake. He cupped her face before stroking her damp locks that were matted against her skin. She hummed at the cooling sensation of his skin on hers and Damon nudged his nose with hers. Cassandra craned her lips up to meet his once more, giving him one last kiss and letting her body finally fall asleep. The raven haired vampire dropped down to the bed next to her and snuggled her warm naked flesh to his.

She was home.

She was finally home in his arms and he'd never let her go.

* * *

**Please review :)**


	3. The Memorial

**Hi everyone! I want to take a moment to thank you all for your kindness and well wishes for myself and my family during this difficult time. I do have power back (I got it yesterday), but it keeps going out with this new storm the northeast is stuck in. Needless to say, this storm has caused so much devastation to so many people and I am thankful to be safe with my family. To all of you who have been affected by this storm, I am praying for you and your families in hopes that you are all safe. It is a tough time for us all, so remember to be kind to one another and help out others!**

**On a lighter note, here is the next chapter :) I added some lemony goodness for all of my amazing readers/reviewers, so please enjoy and leave a review.**

**Beta: un-beta'd, but it is in the talented hands of HarleyQuinn88  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

Waking up the following morning was absolute bliss for Damon. Looking down, he saw Cassandra's naked body pressed up against his and he stroked a hand through her curls. She moaned in her sleep and snuggled herself closer to Damon's body, soaking in the feeling of his warm skin on hers. He bent down to kiss the top of her head and she let out a yawn, slowly waking herself up. She peered up at him with tired eyes and smiled brightly.

"Hi," She traced circles on his bare chest.

"Hey." Damon grinned as he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. The two just spent a couple moments gazing into one another's eyes and soaking up their time together. Cassandra leaned her arms on his chest, resting her chin on her hands. "Do you wanna go to Vegas?" He asked.

Cassandra tilted her head to the right and raised an eyebrow. "What? Vegas?"

"To get married." Damon replied simply. "Let's go get married. Right now,"

"Damon, we can't just up and leave." She pouted.

"Why not?" He mumbled.

"Because, it wouldn't be right. I want to just up and leave this town and get married just as much as you do, but I just…"

"You feel guilty for making Elena turn." He finished for her and she nodded sadly.

"I had to make a choice. Either I stayed a ghost forever, or I did what was asked of me." She sighed.

"She'll get over it." He shrugged and climbed out of bed, padding to his dressers.

"Damon," Cassandra chided and followed him, picking up his shirt from last night off the floor and putting it on her.

"What? We all got over it and she will too." The vampire quickly got himself dressed. "I just wanna marry you before…" He trailed off and Cassandra made her way over to him. She knew what he meant; she didn't have to hear him say it.

"I know, Damon." She hugged him tightly. "We'll get married as soon as we can, I promise."

"Unfortunately, this town likes to be a nuisance." Damon grumbled.

"Hey, we have an eternity." Cassandra joked.

"I'm looking forward to it." He threw her a wink. "Especially if you walk around dressed in my shirt for the rest of eternity." Damon pulled at the collar of his button down shirt, making Cassandra fall against him before pressing his lips to hers.

"Damon?" Stefan's voice carried through the house and Damon growled, breaking the kiss.

"And this town also has the highest population of cock blockers." He added as Stefan stood at the threshold of his older brother's room.

"Do you have some extra blankets?" Stefan asked.

"Why would you need some extra blankets?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"I'm taking Elena out hunting in the woods." He replied.

"Woah, woah! You mean you're having her find a human jogging in the woods and then feeding from them?" The raven haired vampire guessed as he watched Stefan just make himself home in Damon's room.

Stefan stalked over to the closet and pulled out several extra blankets. "No, I'm teaching Elena how to hunt for animals."

"Uhm, Stefan, she's a baby vampire. She'll want it fresh from a human." Cassandra chimed in.

"If I can get Elena used to animal blood right out of the gate–"

"Delusional!" Damon interrupted.

"Maybe she'll be able to bypass all the things we went through." Stefan finished.

"She needs human blood, Stefan, from the vein." This older brother argued.

"I agree with Damon. You can moderate how much she drinks so she doesn't lose control." Cassandra nodded.

"Oh, come on, you know what happens. You name me a vampire who didn't kill at least one person when they were new."

"You name me one who went on a bunny diet and didn't kill dozens." Damon growled.

"You two shouldn't talk." Stefan turned to face the pair. "How many people have you killed in cold blood? And have either of you tried to change your habits?"

"No! Why would I change it if I know it works for me?" Cassandra reasoned. "Even when I was a new vampire, Elijah never had me feed off animals. He told me that I had to experience what bloodlust feels like in order to control it."

"How long did it take you to control it?" The green eyed vampire rolled his eyes.

"It took me a while, but if you give Elena animal blood now, she'll crave something stronger, human blood. She'll go off the rails, hurt someone and then she'll feel guilty." She explained.

"I'm siding with Cassandra on this one." Damon slipped an arm around his fiancé's waist.

"Look, this is my problem, so I would appreciate if you two back off." Stefan growled as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

"We're just looking out for Elena." The hybrid fought. "I know for a fact that if she hurts someone that she'll crumble."

"And then she'll turn off her humanity switch." Damon chimed in.

"Well, I'm going to try and skip those steps." His brother snapped.

"Why? So she doesn't turn into a ripper like you?" Cassandra slammed her fist down on the desk and Stefan immediately sped towards her, but stopped short as Damon stood before him, blocking Cassandra from his brother's wrath.

"Don't even think about it, Stefan." The elder Salvatore hissed and the two brothers were in an intense staring match. Cassandra placed a hand on Damon's shoulder, gently trying to pry him away from doing something he might regret.

"Woah," Elena walked into the room and could feel the thick tension in the room. "What's going on?"

"We're just having a little disagreement about process." Stefan stepped back from his brother.

"You too aren't on board with the animal plan." Elena stated with a sigh.

"Nope," The pair shook their heads.

"It's just a bad idea, Elena." Cassandra frowned. "You're a vampire now, so you should adjust to being a vampire." Elena didn't reply but she seemed to mull over the thought.

"You ready to go?" Stefan asked with a smile and Elena nodded.

"Vampires eat people!" Damon called after them as if it would deter the two vampires from leaving for their hunting trip. "It's part of the natural food pyramid. Trust me; you're going to be miserable." He drawled but Elena turned a deaf ear to Damon as her and Stefan left the boarding house.

"Well, we tried." Cassandra sighed.

"Idiot. My brother is an idiot." Damon grumbled and threw his hands up in the air.

"Let's think about it this way, if Stefan messes this up, we'll be there to help clean up the mess as usual and then we get to say, "I told you so," till we're blue in the face." She said with a smile.

Damon shook his head, "We'll always be cleaning up his messes."

* * *

To Cassandra, it felt strangely familiar to be back in the Grill with Damon, however she knew that he was having a hard time coping with the fact that Alaric would no longer be with him to drown his sorrows. She even sat in the seat on the other side of Damon to keep it open as if Alaric would be the person to fill that seat. She did it in respect for Alaric and for her grieving fiancé. He downed another glass of bourbon and ordered one as well; she might as well grieve with him too.

"That seat's taken." Damon murmured to Liz Forbes as she approached the bar. The Sheriff gave a huff and moved to the other side of the bar near Cassandra. She threw down a newspaper on the bar and Cassandra took it up in her hands.

"'_Faulty_ _gas line leads to tragic explosion at Young farm.'_" She read aloud and wrinkled her nose. "Seriously?"

"Better than _'Town Council blown up. Police have no suspects.'_" Liz frowned. "Unless the perpetrators are right next to me."

"Well, don't look at me. I always take credit for killing people." Damon smirked.

"And I just came back from the dead, so I think I have an alibi for this one." Cassandra handed the paper back to the Sheriff but she continued to stare down the two supernaturals.

"Oh, come on. Stop looking at me like that, Liz! If I was going to kill twelve people, I wouldn't blow them up, I'd have dinner party." The vampire twirled his glass, watching the liquid swish around before downing it.

"The explosion was sparked from inside. This wasn't an accident." Liz pressed.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." He rolled his eyes and both Cassandra and Damon's eyes snapped to the door of the Grill hearing it open. In walked a tall, dark skinned man. He was of an average build and looked like he could take a couple punches and still have the strength to beat someone into the ground. "Who's the new guy?" Cassandra shrugged and sipped some more of her drink as the newcomer strolled up to Liz.

"Excuse me, Sheriff. Hi, uhm, I was wondering if I could speak to you for a minute about the explosion at the Young farm." He stated.

"I'm sorry, Mr…?" Liz groped for his name.

"Oh, Connor Jordan." He held out his hand and the pair at the bar noticed a strange black fingerless glove on his hand.

"Are you with the insurance investigation?" The Sheriff asked.

"No, no. I'm more of an independent contractor." Connor replied and stole a look at Damon and Cassandra who were openly eavesdropping and they weren't trying to hide it. "Can we speak in private?" He looked back to the Sheriff and Liz nodded before looking back at Cassandra and Damon who just gave her a shrug. They walked off, probably going outside the Grill to finish their conversation.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Busybody Guy." Damon said to himself.

"I don't like that he's sniffing around." Cassandra murmured and looked at the forgotten newspaper that Liz had left. She read through the article and it all sounded very suspicious, even more so that this Connor guy was poking around and asking questions. According to the article, the explosion happened from the inside of the farm house and was explained as a freak accident. Huffing and tossing the paper down, she dialed Stefan's number.

"_Hey! We just got back."_ Stefan's voice sounded very chipper.

"How'd she do?" Cassandra asked and Damon scoffed loudly enough for his brother to hear.

"_She did great!"_ She could hear the pride in his voice and it made her smile.

"Good! I'm so glad!" She congratulated.

"_In fact, we're celebrating. Why don't you and Damon come home? We're opening a bottle of champagne."_

"Ooh, I'll go feed on a deer if you get me a bottle of champagne." Damon chortled.

"Uh, listen, Stefan." Cassandra frowned and her eyes found the newspaper headline once again. "I think we've got a new problem on our hands."

* * *

Elena was thankful that her vampire speed allowed her to run from the Salvatore boarding house to Grill in record time. Even though she was still feeling sick from her latest feeding incident, she needed to clear things up with the dead Council members. "Did you do it?" Elena hushed as she approached the bar.

"That seat's taken," Damon grumbled to the new born vampire.

Elena stole a look down at the empty seat and creased her forehead. "But, there's no one here."

"Well, I'm going to pretend like there's someone there because the alternative is just too damn depressing." He kept his eyes trained on the liquid in his glass and Cassandra gave Elena a shrug communicating that the bar seat that she was currently being booted out of was Alaric's. Realizing her mistake, Elena then moved to sit closest to Cassandra.

"Did you set off the explosion that killed the town council?"She asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Am I wearing my 'I Blew Up The Council' t-shirt?" The vampire waved his arms around. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Did you?" She pressed and Damon rolled his eyes.

"No." He deadpanned. "I was with Cassandra. Anything else?"

"Stefan told me your good news." Cassandra said with a smile, trying to change the topic of conversation. "Lemme buy you a drink."

"Uhm, there's a little bit of problem with that." Elena mumbled and Cassandra looked back at her worriedly. "Something's wrong. I can't keep any of the animal blood down." She said quietly.

"Well, there's a shock." Damon sighed.

"Why didn't you say anything to Stefan?"Cassandra inclined.

"He was just so happy that I fed and I didn't want to disappoint him." The young vampire shrugged sheepishly. "I think I need your help."

"Of course you do. Pick your meal." The vampire grumbled and pointed to some tables in the Grill. "You've got Asian fusion. Mexican. How about some good old American comfort food?" As Damon listed off the different kinds of meals Elena could pick up, Cassandra's mouth watered while Elena's face dropped.

"No. No, no human blood." She shook her head back and forth furiously. "Stefan's right. I have to at least try to get through this without hurting anyone."

"Well, maybe you don't have to." Cassandra noted and Elena gave her a confused look. "Follow me," She pulled at Elena's wrist and motioned for Damon to follow her as well.

"What are you two doing?" Elena asked as she watched Damon lock the door behind them. Cassandra then bit into her hand, allowing some blood to pool while the wound healed. Elena immediately backed away from it like it was poison. "Stop it! Get that away from me!"

"You have to learn how to feed properly, Elena." Cassandra pressed. "You tried the animal diet and it didn't work for you, so try something else."

"I don't know any vampire that is doing the whole animal diet." Damon chimed in. "I couldn't do it. Especially nothing with wings."

Elena's eyes remained fixed on the blood, the crimson liquid looked so appetizing to her. "But, Stefan..."

"If Stefan truly loves you, which he does. He will understand that you had to try another method." The hybrid inclined her hand towards Elena again. "Maybe he'd even let you feed on him."

"Feed on him?" Elena tilted her head.

"If two vampires are intimately involved, they can feed from each other." Cassandra explained.

"Like blood sharing?" The newborn wrinkled her nose. She's heard about it when she was a human and the whole idea seemed very taboo to her.

"Yeah, but blood sharing is kinda personal." Damon added.

"It can help strengthen the bond between two vampires." The hybrid nodded and Elena seemed to understand it.

"Will you tell Stefan that I fed from you?" She asked hesitantly.

Cassandra shook her head. "It's not our place to tell him." Elena looked happy at this and she relaxed. "But, you have to tell him that your body is rejecting animal blood. That way he can find you another food source on his own. Deal?" Her voice was firm while still having a nurturing edge to it.

"Deal." Elena nodded and took up Cassandra's bloody hand. Her blood smelled so good, much better than deer blood. The newborn vampire looked up at the couple and they both gave her encouraging head nods. Elena then lowered her lips to Cassandra's hand and bit down with her new fangs. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she proceeded to suck down Cassandra's sweet blood. The hybrid pet Elena's hair comfortingly as she drank. She knew Elena was having a hard time with this transition and she made a little promise to herself to help Elena in any way she could. The hybrid quickly felt herself getting lightheaded at the ferocity of Elena's feeding. The baby vampire was sucking from the wound much too quickly.

"Elena," She called but she didn't respond. "Elena!" Her intonation recommended that either Elena should stop drinking, or she'd have to remove her. Slowly, Elena took her fangs out of Cassandra's hand and savored the taste of warm, fresh blood on her tongue.

"How do you feel?" Damon asked.

Elena placed a hand on her stomach, waiting for the waves of nausea to hit her, but they never did. "I'm fine. I feel fine." She smiled and hugged Cassandra tightly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Cassandra grinned as well and pulled back to make sure that no blood was left on her face. "Now get home and tell Stefan. You hear me?" Elena nodded and left the bathroom but Damon locked the door once again.

"You okay?" He was worried that she looked wobbly on her feet.

"Mmhmm, she just took a little too much." She hummed and Damon held her hips to steady her before lifting her up on the counter.

"Why didn't you tell her?" Damon tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Because she looked so happy that she could actually keep food down. I didn't want to spoil it for her." Cassandra shrugged and closed her eyes to make the room stop spinning. She groaned and Damon started to unbutton the first few buttons on his dress shirt.

"Easy, Cass." He cooed and took her hand, placing it over his pulse point on his neck. She felt the thumping of his heart pushing blood through his veins and her eyes immediately snapped open, a red hue surrounding her pupils. "You were really good with her, you know?"

"I tried. I just want to be there for her. We had no one when we first turned. We were all on our own. I had Elijah, but I needed more than that. I needed friends."

Damon nodded and brushed his lips against hers. She was so compassionate and caring that he just wanted to eat her up. Cassandra stole a glance down at his neck and swallowed thickly. "Drink." He purred. His smooth, alabaster skin was an invitation for her to sink her fangs into and she leaned her head down to kiss his neck. Damon sighed and pulled her close so that her backside was balancing on the edge of the counter. "Elena should have stayed for this part of the lesson." He smirked.

"And have her so aroused she'd cum on the spot?" Cassandra giggled and slid her fangs into Damon's skin. The raven haired vampire felt his entire body ignite, like he was hit with an electrical current that was surging through him. He cradled Cassandra's body close to his as she sucked his warm blood. She could already notice that she was feeling better already. Damon's hips ground against Cassandra's throbbing heat and she whimpered against his lips. The act of blood sharing was an instant arousal for them. It was the most intimate gesture between two vampires. Drinking a lover's blood allows the two vampires to become more connected on a very sexual and sensual level.

Having her fill, although Cassandra could drink Damon's blood all day, she pulled back and kissed the healing wound. Her tongue darted out to clean her lips and she giggled at Damon's barely there expression. She stroked his hair, "You okay?"

"I am so turned on right now." He breathed and peppered little kisses underneath her chin. Cassandra didn't even get a chance to speak before Damon swiftly buried his fangs into her shoulder. She moaned and wound her legs around his waist, desperate to feel his erection through his jeans. Her hands worked to yank his leather jacket off his shoulders and unbutton his shirt. Once Damon's lips removed themselves from Cassandra's skin, the two held each other's lustful stares before mashing their lips together. Damon tore her shirt off and pulled her off the counter to stand on the floor. He whirled her around to face the mirror and pulled her skin tight leggings and lace panties down her legs to rest at her ankles.

"I need you." Her voice was deep and husky and Damon's pants were on the ground. She really appreciated that he loved going commando some days.

"This has to be quick." He rubbed his cock against her dripping slit.

"Mmm, fast and rough." Cassandra moaned. "You know how I like it." Without further ado, he rammed into her with brute force. She bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from screaming in absolute pleasure at the top of her lungs. They were in a public place after all. But her logic quickly dissipated as Damon built up a pace of snapping his hips against hers.

"You like that?" He purred in her ear and she could only bring herself to nod. Damon's hands threaded into her long curls and yanked roughly so she could look at her reflection in the mirror and she moaned aloud at the erotic image displayed before her.

Her face was twisted up in pure pleasure and so was Damon's. She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth but little moans were pulled from her throat anyways. Her hands were gripping the counter so tightly that her knuckles were turning white and the marble cracked. Her breasts bounced with each thrust, nearly ready to spill from the emerald green and black lace cups. Damon's eyes danced with lust as he watched his reflection fuck his fiancé. There was nothing more erotic than this. He gripped her hips, controlling the pace and direction of his thrusts. Cassandra was doing a good job at not making a lot of noise, but he wanted to make her scream, so that everyone in the Grill knew that she was his.

Cassandra felt her orgasm quickly approaching and reached a hand down to rub her clit, but Damon smacked it away. She pouted her lips at him, but all Damon did was pin both of her wrists to the counter.

"Make me cum, Damon." She begged.

"Oh, you'll cum. And you'll scream so loud that everyone in the Grill can hear you." He punctuated the most important words with strong thrusts. His chin rested on her shoulder, his lips were at her ear. "Look at how sexy you look taking my thick cock like a good girl." He purred and he felt her walls contract around him. She absolutely loved it when he talked dirty to her.

"More. Tell me more." She panted

"I could fuck you into eternity and it still wouldn't be enough." He groaned and spanked her ass. She let out a squeal and she was done keeping herself quiet.

"Fuck, Damon!" Cassandra's eyes locked with his in the reflection of the mirror. "You feel so good! I want your cock inside me forever!" She felt him twinge in the grip of her velvety wet walls.

"It's all yours. Now cum for me and scream nice loud, so everyone knows who's fucking you so good." Damon nibbled her earlobe and the couple suddenly froze at the knock on the bathroom door.

"J-just a minute!" Cassandra was trying her best to keep herself in check but Damon's pace started up once again. Like he really cared who saw or heard them. Another three knocks pounded against the door, "I...oh my god-I'm coming! I'm coming!" She chanted as her last bit of resistance wore thin.

"In more ways than one." Damon smirked and bit down on her neck, sheathing his fangs into her skin. Cassandra let out a string of moans that were so loud she was sure that the entire Grill heard her. Her walls crumbled around him, fluttering wildly as she came on his still pulsing length. She just couldn't stop cumming. Her juices flowed, nearly flooding Damon's cock and he continued to drink from her as she squirmed in his grip. He couldn't hold off his own orgasm for much longer, so he allowed himself to spill his sticky cum deep inside her, triggering a little mini orgasm for Cassandra.

"Is everything alright in there?" A male voice projected itself from behind the door and Cassandra didn't even notice it, but Damon managed to get them both dressed in a matter of seconds. She blamed her dreamy state on her post orgasm haze.

"How was that for fast and rough?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows at her and all she did was throw her arms around him and kiss him fiercely.

"You spoil me." Cassandra purred against his lips.

"See, if you keep doing that, then the person on the other side of the door will have to beat it down." The vampire smirked and they fixed their clothes and disheveled hair in the mirror before opening the door. They were met with the hard face of Connor. He looked less than pleased that he was privy to hearing their escapades. Cassandra cleared her throat in an effort to break up the awkward silence while Damon tried to cover up a healing hickey on his neck.

"Awkward," Cassandra muttered under her breath.

"I was prepared to see teenagers and not adults." Connor remarked smartly.

"Well, we're teenagers at heart." Damon replied with a sly smirk, slipping his arm around Cassandra's waist. "We're also newly engaged." He noted and Connor looked down at Cassandra's hand at the giant rock on her ring finger. "I just can't keep my hands off her."

"Congratulations." Connor smiled and moved to take Cassandra's left hand in his gloved one but she quickly avoided it by running a hand through her hair.

"Thank you. We're planning a June wedding." The hybrid looped her left arm through Damon's hugging him and leaning her head on his shoulder, making sure to flash her ring for Connor.

"Well, I have an appointment that I must be getting to, but you two enjoy your day." He side stepped the pair and entered the bathroom, making Cassandra yank Damon to the door and out of the Grill, giggling as they went.

* * *

"Damon!" Cassandra yelled from the bathroom. The blue eyed vampire smirked to himself as he played with a piece of fabric in his hands. She stomped out of the bathroom with her black dress unzipped in the back. "Where are they?" She growled.

"Where are what?" He questioned innocently.

"You know what! I know you took my panties!" She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her Christian Loubouton pump against the floor. "We're going to be late for the service."

Damon eyed her with playful eyes as he twisted the lacy fabric. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

The hybrid continued to stare him down, clearly not amused that Damon had stolen her favorite pair of panties. She stepped forward and held her hand out, "Give them back."

"Where are your manners, Miss Emerson?" Damon snickered.

Cassandra sighed deeply, "Please?"

"But you look so much better without them." The vampire pouted.

"Damon, I am not going to church without panties." She quickly snatched them from his grip and stepped into them, pulling the lace up her toned legs. Today would be the service for the Council members that had lost their lives in the explosion at the Young farm.

"Buzz kill." Damon groaned and followed her to her dresser as she looked through her assortment of necklaces. She plucked up a simple silver chain with a charm of an angel wing on it. As she moved it to her neck, Damon's fingers covered hers and clasped it on her. He brushed her hair over her shoulders, placing little ghosting kisses along the side of her neck.

"We have to go." She shuddered against him.

"Oh, we have time." Damon shrugged and pulled her closer. His lips attacked a sensitive spot on her neck that left her writhing in his grip.

"D-Damon," She moaned and he chuckled against her ear. The blaring of her cell phone made him growl loudly that someone was trying to ruin their fun.

"I am going to smash your phone to bits." He reluctantly let Cassandra go and she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

_"Cassandra,"_ Elena whimpered. _"I-I threw up again. It's everywhere. I'm locked in the church bathroom and...I can't do this anymore."_

The hybrid's face paled, "We'll be right there. Sit tight."

* * *

The pair raced to the church with a spare dress for Elena. This was the second time that they knew of that Elena was puking up blood. Right now, Elena wasn't able to get any source of food and she would lose control sooner or later. Approaching the church, Damon's phone rang loudly, it was Elena and she begged them to hurry since someone was knocking on the door. They bounded down the steps and Cassandra knocked at the door, ignoring the glances she received from Connor.

"Elena! It's me." She called and the door opened just slightly.

"Oh, thank god!" She hushed and pulled her in, locking the door behind them. Cassandra's eyes were wide at the amount of blood that littered the floor, splattered the walls and coated the countertop.

"Elena..." Cassandra covered her mouth.

"I don't know what to do." The young vampire cried.

Cassandra snapped herself from the sight of the gruesome bathroom and flung Elena the garment bag. "Get dressed. I'll clean up the blood." She immediately gathered some wet paper towels and proceeded to wipe down everything. With quick hands, the bathroom was spotless and Elena was all changed, looking presentable except for the bloodstain on her lips. Cassandra dabbed the blood with a paper towel and took the rest of the paper towels, tossing them into the garment bag along with Elena's ruined dress. The two gave a final glance to the bathroom and themselves before exiting the bathroom to see Damon speaking with Connor.

"Everything okay?" Damon asked the two women.

"Of course." Cassandra smiled nonchalantly and gave Damon a kiss.

"Sorry we took so long." Elena shrugged. "I spilled coffee all over my dress."

"I told you not to wear pastel." Cassandra tisked jokingly and the group were left in the awkward silence created by Connor.

"Well, enjoy your stay. We love visitors and the scenery is to _die for_." Damon quickly ended his remark with a hand over his mouth. "Funeral pun. Too soon? Sorry." Cassandra quickly ushered Elena up the stairs and away from Connor's eyes, he did shoot Tyler after all. Damon followed them until they were outside and guided them to a tree near the church.

Cassandra handed Elena a blood bag she'd brought with her and she quickly ripped off the top. Both Damon and Cassandra shielded her from the eyes of people walking into the church. Her lips weren't connected to the bag for longer than a minute before she got sick again. She immediately spit up the blood and handed the bag back to her.

"What is happening to me?" She whimpered. "I'm dying, aren't I?"

The two vampires exchanged a glance. "No, you are not dying. It could be that your doppelganger blood is refusing the transition." Damon said.

"Maybe I'm better off dead." No sooner had those words left Elena's mouth; she received a hard slap across the face.

Cassandra's face was twisted up in anger as she stared down the baby vampire. "Stop it! You're not allowed to talk like that!" She hissed and Damon kept himself quiet while Elena nursed her red cheek. "We're not giving up on you, so don't you dare give up on us!" Elena sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry..." She mumbled. "My emotions are just out of control."

"I know, but we're all going to help you. You just have to let us." Cassandra consoled and dabbed the remaining blood off the newborns face. The clock tower chimed in the distance and Elena straightened her dress.

"I have to go inside. I'll meet you two there." She said with a nod and sulked off.

"Jeez, I didn't expect you to hit her." Damon shook his head and took the blood bag from Cassandra, concealing it inside a discrete bag.

"Well, she's been given a second chance at life and I don't want to see her give up on it." She said.

Damon gave her a nod and pursed his lips. "It was very sexy. You know, watching you take authority." He added with a smirk.

"Maybe I'll smack you around for a bit." She giggled as Stefan approached the pair.

"Oh great…" He grumbled.

"What's the blood bag for?" The green eyed vampire leered.

"Mid-service snack." Damon held up the bag in question. "Church always gets me hungry. The whole blood Christ thing, you know." He said with a snarky smirk and Stefan just continued to glare at the pair.

"We brought it for Elena." Cassandra said.

"Are you two really intent on having it your way?" Stefan growled.

"Maybe you'd see that your way sucks if we told you that it was for Elena. She can't keep any blood down." The hybrid snapped heatedly.

"What are you talking about? She told me she was fine." Stefan shook his head.

"Well, then she lied. I told her to tell you." She assured him.

"Your four legged protein shake was a bust. The juice box is a no go. And she even fed from Cassandra too and I don't know how she couldn't keep that delicious cocktail down." Damon snickered.

Stefan's forehead began to brood and his eyes narrowed at the hybrid. "You let her drink from you?"

"She begged me to help her and I wasn't going to let the poor thing go hungry." Cassandra defended but she could tell that Stefan was hurt that she and Damon had gone behind his back.

"Oops, did we say that out loud?" Damon chuckled and Cassandra gave him a frown before pulling him to walk with her to the church.

* * *

The pair sauntered into the church as if they owned the place and dipped their fingers into the bowl of holy water to bless themselves. They both couldn't remember the last time that they had been in a church, but they knew the standard protocol.

"Don't know why, but that always makes me smile." Damon smirked as he completed the sign of the cross and ushered Cassandra into a pew. She shook her head, giving Damon's comment a little chuckle and they both took their seats. Cassandra felt uneasy looking at Elena who was preparing herself to give her speech about Pastor Young.

"She doesn't look so good." She whispered.

"Well, maybe if you told me she was rejecting all food sources." Stefan grumbled.

"Don't make me kick your ass in God's house." The hybrid bit back and Damon patted her thigh.

"I, uhm, when I talked to April earlier she was kind of nervous about coming up to speak. And now that I'm up here, I'm kind of nervous too." Elena started with much difficulty. Her voice was very weak and shaky. "The worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them." She was now breathing heavily in and out of her nose and she started to sweat profusely. She felt as if the walls were closing in around her and that she was a sitting duck.

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

"I…uhm…" She stammered

"Do you smell that?" Caroline whispered.

"Blood." Tyler nodded.

Caroline and Tyler's conversation resonated in Stefan's, Cassandra's, and Damon's ears and sent off red flags in their brains.

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

Cassandra moved to turn her head to find the source of the incessant dripping but Damon gripped her hand tightly.

"Don't turn around." He hushed loud enough for each supernatural to hear him. "It's a trap." Her eyes turned back to Elena to see that she was quickly losing control. Beads of sweat formed across her forehead and she was as pale as a ghost. Stefan stood abruptly and stalked up the altar, taking Elena gently by the arm.

"It's okay. I've got you." He consoled and she leaned against him for support as they walked back to their pew. Everyone in the church stood and sang the hymns as prompted by the priest.

"The blood. Stefan, the blood. I can smell it." Elena whimpered into his shoulder. "There's so much."

"It's alright. Remember what we talked about. Focus, push back, come on you can do this." Stefan coached but Elena was fading fast.

"What's wrong with her?" Matt asked quietly.

"She's hungry. She hasn't fed." Stefan replied.

"So, get her out of here." The boy nudged.

"I can't. There's somebody watching us." He growled.

"I'm gonna go rip his head off now." Damon hummed.

"You do that, Damon, and you risk exposing us all." His brother fought.

"Well, I think the risk will be slightly diminished when he, you know, rips his head off." Cassandra offered.

"Stefan, I'm losing it!" Elena was gripping the lapels of Stefan's jacket so tightly that her nails were slicing through the fabric.

"You have ten seconds before we go old fashioned on the new guy." Cassandra hissed.

"Don't do it, Damon. Please." Stefan begged, but they were beyond listening.

"3, 2, 1 bye." Damon snickered and grabbed Cassandra's hand, ready to lead her from the pew, but Matt stopped them, offering up his own neck for Elena to feed off of. Everyone seemed hesitant at first, but Stefan allowed it and Elena fed from the quarterback.

"The blood. I can still smell it. It's got to be April. We have to help her." Elena pleaded with Stefan once she was feeling better.

"Elena, we can't risk it." Stefan shook his head and held Elena back from running out of the pew. The group was ready to argue on which way they would run first, but the choir suddenly stopped singing.

"Excuse me," Tyler spoke into the mic. "I just wanted to say a few words about Pastor Young." Everyone took their seats once again and the group all exchanged worried glances.

"What is he doing?" Cassandra wrinkled her nose.

"He's being the bait." Damon whispered in her ear.

"Back in first grade, I was a brat who couldn't be bothered with team sports. Didn't care much about anything that didn't affect me. But he was the one who made me understand how important it is to be part of a team; a community. Of giving yourself up for the sake of–" Tyler's heartfelt speech was interrupted by a gun being shot from the upper balcony of the church. Everyone erupted into a panic; people were screaming and running for the door, nearly trampling one another. It was utter pandemonium, but in the midst of it all two persons were able to slip outside.

* * *

Connor jumped into his truck and jabbed the key in the admission. The car started and he was just about to throw it into gear when his passenger side door was ripped off and Cassandra hung herself from where the door used to be.

"Leaving so soon?" She hissed. The hunter backed away and was then pulled out the driver side door by Damon. Connor was thrown to the ground and Damon pounced but was met with a few bullets in his chest. The vampire groaned and Connor was then able to get him on his back now that he was weak. Cassandra lunged at Connor, fangs bared but he turned at shot at her with his gun, hitting her in the shoulder and ribs. With the both of them disabled, Connor took out a long syringe and kneeled over Cassandra.

"Hybrid." He spat and gripped her hair roughly. She unsheathed her double set of fangs in an effort to threaten him, but Connor just grinned. She squirmed around, but Connor's hand in her hair held her still. He leaned down and prepared to ease the syringe into her gums.

"Damon! Cassandra!" Stefan's voice could be heard over the chaos and Connor was partially jostled by the approaching vampire. With this distraction, Cassandra leapt forward and crunched Connor's hand wielding the syringe. He roared in pain and backed away from the irate hybrid. The wounded hunter cradled his hand and ran back to his car, jumping in it and speeding away.

"God! What the hell was that?" Cassandra felt her gums and counted her fangs. One, two, three, and four. All of them were present and accounted for. With shaky movements, she crawled over to Damon to see him trying to dig the bullets from his chest.

"This is kind of an off day for me." He groaned and looked to see that Cassandra was bleeding as well. She sat beside him and poked her fingers through her own bullet holes and plucked them out.

"Wooden." She noted as she examined one and tossed it on the ground. "Need help?"

Stefan then jogged up to the pair, looking around for Connor. "Where'd he go?"

Damon rolled his eyes at his brothers' aloofness. "He got away." Stefan leaned down and held a hand out to Damon, pulling him up but then with his other hand, punched him in the jaw. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You know what." Stefan growled.

"Are you kidding me?" Cassandra hissed and balled a fist at Stefan but he was already walking away from them.

* * *

"Ugh, this sucks." Damon groaned as Cassandra used her long werewolf nails to pull the last bullet out of his chest.

"Tell me about it," She placed the wooden stake shaped bullet into a glass bowl and moved to the adjoining bathroom in their room to wash her hands. "This guy is crafty." She shouted over her shoulder as she cleaned the blood from under her elongated nails. Damon had already taken out her bullets, so all she had to do left was clean bloodied skin.

"I know. Totally should have ripped his throat out when I had the chance." He shook his head and prodded at the healing holes in his skin. Cassandra reentered their bedroom with clean hands and a clean body. She stood there in her bra and panties with her ruined dress in her hands and pouted.

"Why is it that whenever I wear something nice, it always gets ruined?" She threw it in the trash bin and pulled out a pair of leggings and a shirt from her closet.

"You look better naked anyways." Damon threw her a smirk as he watched her get dressed. Cassandra chuckled to herself and took a bowl of warm water and a washcloth from her bedside table and sat beside Damon. She dipped the cloth in the water and started to clean his wounds. He gritted his teeth since it stung slightly.

"This guy is going to be a real problem." Cassandra shook her head and soaked the cloth again, letting the blood ting the water a pale red.

"I think we're going to do some major snooping tomorrow." He tapped his fingers against her thigh. "You in?"

"Of course I'm in. What kind of a question in that?" She giggled and wiped the last bit of blood off his skin.

"Alright, so we'll start tomorrow." The vampire nodded and reached for his phone which was buzzing in his pocket. He read the message and furrowed a brow.

"What is it?" Cassandra asked.

"Don't know, but Stefan called another one of his meetings."

* * *

Arriving at Mystic Falls High School, Cassandra and Damon caught sight of Bonnie who was also exiting her car. It was nightfall as they walked up the front lawn of the school.

"What are we doing here?" Damon asked impatiently.

"I don't know. Ask Stefan." Bonnie replied as the trio approached Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Jeremy, and Matt who were waiting for them.

"What's the meeting text for, Stefan?" Cassandra asked.

"We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier." Stefan answered and started to hand out paper lanterns to everyone. "We all need to start healing. We've lost so much, especially recently. I think we're numb to it. We push it away, we make a joke out of it, ignore how we feel. We've never just let ourselves grieve."

"So, you're lighting lanterns?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Yeah, we need to do this." Stefan nodded and started to pass out lanterns to everyone.

"What we need to do is find out who this hunter is and what he knows about the death of the Council. We have more important things to be doing right now than this." Damon argued and Cassandra sent him a look to make him keep quiet.

"Not tonight, we don't." His brother passed Damon a lantern but he didn't take it. He scoffed and Stefan lit his lantern with a lighter. "This is for my uncle Zach and my friend Lexi and for Alaric." When he said Alaric's name, Cassandra could see that Damon's fist clenched by his side. Perhaps this really needed to happen tonight, however she wasn't certain that Damon would grieve openly.

Matt took the lighter next, "This is for Vicki." Caroline then stood up and took the lighter.

"This is for my dad. And Tyler's." She lit her lantern and passed it on to Jeremy.

"This is for our parents." He looked at Elena and lit his lantern. "For Vicki, Anna, Jenna and Alaric."

Bonnie took it next, sparking the lighter. "This is for my Grams." Elena was next in the memorial.

"This is for my mom, my dad, Jenna. Everyone that you've all lost. Everyone that this town has lost. And for me I guess." She lit her lantern and passed it to Cassandra.

"This is for my parents, Rose, Vanessa and Ric." Cassandra tearfully lit her lantern and passed the lighter to Damon who eyed it like it was a stake.

The vampire jerked back from the lighter, throwing his hands up. "I'm not doing this."

"Damon," Cassandra pleaded but he turned on his heel, bolting away from the impromptu memorial. "Damon!" She called after him but he didn't stop. Cassandra looked back at her friends who all held a look of trepidation; none of them had anything to say. She frowned and walked back to the group. Each of them slowly let their lanterns go, one by one and they watched them float off into the night sky.

* * *

"They're floating lanterns in the sky. Can you believe that? A Japanese lantern is the symbol of letting go of the past. Well, here's a newsflash, we're not Japanese!" Damon scoffed as he drank from his nearly empty bottle of bourbon. "Do you know what they are? Children. Like lighting a candle is going to make everything okay or even saying a prayer will fix everything. Stupid, delusional, exasperating, little children. I know what you're going to say; "It makes them feel better, Damon." So what." He took another long swig before looking down at Alaric's grave. He had been alone in the cemetery for a while but didn't know exactly how he got there. He vaguely remembered leaving the memorial Stefan put together and Cassandra calling after him, but he just felt like his heart was breaking at the mention of Alaric. "For how long? A minute? A day? What difference does it make? Because in the end, when you lose somebody; every candle, every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing that you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody you cared about used to be. And a rock with a birthday carved into it that I'm pretty sure is wrong." He was standing now, still speaking to Alaric's grave. The stone was covered with wilting flowers and extinguished candles. Little did he know, Alaric's ghost was sitting on a bench behind him. He'd been listening the entire time and even chuckled at the comment about his so called incorrect birthday. "So, thanks, friend. For leaving Cassandra and I to babysit everyone. I'm stuck here fighting with my brother and taking care of the kids. You owe me big." Damon took his last final swig from the bottle, emptying it completely and placing it next to Alaric's tombstone.

Alaric watched Damon walk off into the night, stumbling as he went and shook his head, _"I miss you too, buddy."_

Cassandra watched from the darkness of the cemetery, Damon's lantern was clutched tightly in her grip. She sparked the lighter, lit the lantern and stood in front of Ric's gravestone. It had been a while since she was in a cemetery and actually found comfort in walking around one. She heard Damon's every word and knew that he had grieved in his own way. He didn't need to light a lantern, instead he was sitting with a bottle of bourbon, speaking to the tombstone of his dead best friend.

"Hey, Ric." She smiled. "How are you doing, buddy? Look, I know we ended on bad terms the last time we saw each other, but you were kinda crazy. I know that Damon doesn't admit it, but...he misses you. He misses you a lot. I mean, you were his drinking buddy." She chuckled.

"This is for Damon's parents, Andie, and Ric." She lit the lantern and stole a look down at Ric's headstone once more. "Yeah, that birth date is definitely wrong. Trying to fool us, Ric?" She joked and unbeknownst to her, Alaric was standing right behind her, chuckling as well. "We miss you, Ric. If you have any way to watch over us, please do. We all need another pair of eyes looking out for us." Cassandra let the lantern go and it floated up into the night sky. She watched it fly higher and higher until it got so small that even her supernatural senses couldn't keep up with it. Her grief disappeared along with that lantern and she could only hope that Damon's way of letting his grief go made him feel better.

As she walked away, she suddenly stopped in her tracks as she heard a whisper on the winds. Maybe it was her imagination or her experience that there really was a life after death, but she did feel a presence with her. She looked over her shoulder and saw no one with her, but she smiled.

"See ya, Ric." She blew a kiss to the stone and pranced off.

Alaric smiled as well; he knew that she could feel him. He watched her walk away from him and knew that deep within his heart that he might have left Damon, but he certainly didn't leave him alone. He had Cassandra by his side and she could comfort him in way that Alaric never could.

_"Take care of him, Cassandra."_ He whispered to himself before wandering around the cemetery until he disappeared within the shadows and darkness.

* * *

**Please review!**


	4. The Rager

**Hello everyone! Thanks so, so much for the amazing review and support! Hugs and Kisses to you all! I am looovviinngg season 4 so far and I am anxious to get more chapters out to you as soon as possible!**

****I was scrolling through fanfic the other day and came across a super smutty one-shot. If you like a lemony fic where an OC is at the mercy of the infamous Salvatore brothers, this is the story for you! It's called 'Bloodlust' and it's written by RunningInAir. I highly suggest checking it out and giving her a review! She's an awesome writer and it was a pleasure messaging back and forth with her. Maybe if you give her enough reviews, she'll write a part two to her fic ;)****

**Beta: currently un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

It was the loud revving of a motorcycle engine that awoke Cassandra from her peaceful sleep. With a groan, she cracked open her eye lids and tried to fall back to sleep but the purring of that damn engine had other plans. Throwing the covers off her and shuffling out of bed, she saw that the space next to her was unoccupied. She frowned that Damon wasn't with her now, but she did know that he went to sleep with her last night. By the time she'd gotten home, he was already passed out on the bed in his clothes. Being the caring fiancé she was, she undressed him down to something more comfortable before settling into bed herself. Cassandra sighed and slid a satin robe over her shoulders, knotting the tie loosely and exited their bedroom.

The front door was wide open and she could see that Stefan was working on the finishing touches of his brand new motorcycle. She moved to lean herself against the door frame and yawn tiredly.

"Sweet ride." She called and Stefan looked up from the engine and didn't really give her any kind of reply. "But couldn't you wait to rev the engine until everyone was awake in the house?"

"That's what I said." Damon grumbled as he joined her and passed her a steaming thermos of coffee along with a kiss on her temple. "Good day for a midlife crisis. A hundred and sixty-four years, I'd say you're due." He regarded his brother coldly.

"Seriously, what's all this about?" Cassandra asked before taking a long sip of her coffee.

"Elena's transition to a vampire has been a little depressing, so I wanna help her have some fun." Stefan replied as he sat back on the seat of the bike.

"Those who can't do, teach." Damon shrugged.

"I see we're still fighting." The green eyed vampire chuckled.

"Well, you did punch him in the face." Cassandra crossed her arms across her chest.

"Well, you two did go behind my back." Stefan countered smartly.

"For a perfectly good reason. Now you know that Elena can only have blood from the vein and none of that animal diet crap." She growled. "You should actually be thanking us because you'd probably try to shove animal blood down her throat."

"Damon, if you could be so kind as to control your fiancé." The vampire rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" The hybrid fought and Damon placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to try and calm her.

"Easy, Cassandra." He said firmly and she continued to stare Stefan down. She gritted her teeth together, quite loudly, and let out a breath.

"Fine. The only reason why I'm not beating you a pulp right now is because you're helping Elena." She reasoned as Damon rubbed her shoulder.

"So, I'm sure you two have something fun planned for today." Stefan remarked.

"Connor jacked Tyler of his werewolf venom last night and he tried to do the same thing to Cassandra at the service. So we're going to find him and eat him."

"Yummy." Cassandra purred.

Stefan stood and tossed the dirty rag onto the seat of the motorcycle. "I'll go with you guys."

"Thanks, but no thanks." The hybrid scoffed.

"Yeah, we don't want your help. We just want to kill this guy, so maybe we can get out of here and have a little vacation to ourselves." Damon added.

"Hmm, scheming without me?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow. This is the first she heard about a vacation from Damon.

"Maybe." He drawled and kissed her cheek. "Get dressed. Unless you wanna snoop around Connor's trailer in…that." He played with the tie on her robe and smirked. "Although,"

"I'll get dressed." She giggled before Damon could finish articulating the thought of her traipsing around in nothing but a satin robe and pajamas.

* * *

"At least I can say that my day was productive." Cassandra chuckled as she climbed into Connor's trailer. Damon went in ahead of her while she explored a small table that was covered with papers. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Don't know yet." He replied absentmindedly while he thumbed through some newspaper clippings. Cassandra was looking at the distillation setup on the desk and she saw some syringes lying on the table as well. She carefully picked up one and could see the tiniest drop of amber liquid at the bottom of the tube.

"Werewolf venom." She noted aloud and placed the syringe down. "This guy's been busy." Her fingers skimmed over a newspaper clipping about the explosion at the Young farm.

"Tell me about it." Damon nodded as he moved further through the trailer. He took one extra step and was quickly hit with an arrow in his shoulder. Cassandra ran to Damon's aid, but felt the sensation of a sharp arrowhead digging into her thigh. The both of them growled at Connor's ability to set traps and Damon gripped the arrow in his hands. His eyes followed a piece of string attached to the end of the arrow to a box on the wall of the trailer. Cassandra's arrow had the same string but a different box.

"Oh crap," Cassandra groaned as she registered what the box was.

A bomb.

"Dammit." Damon swore and flicked at the string.

"Stop that!" She yelled nervously. The last thing they needed was to get blown up.

It wasn't long till the door of the trailer opened and Dr. Fell stepped inside. Her worried brown eyes flicked around and trailer seeing Damon and Cassandra remaining stone still in their spots.

"Why were you being so cryptic?" She asked.

"Well, we can't really move," Cassandra sighed. "And two…"

"Tell me those aren't bombs!" Meredith interrupted as panic shook her.

"Okay. It's a kitten. It's an adorable exploding kitten." Damon quipped and Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad you can joke in a time like this." His fiancé grumbled.

"Someone's gotta, babe." He shrugged with the one shoulder that wasn't attached to the bomb.

"Maybe some other time when we both aren't strapped to bombs." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Why didn't you call your brother?" The young doctor interjected.

"Because I'm proud and stubborn and…oh look! You're already here!" Damon chuckled and Meredith shot him a deadly glare.

"Like we need Stefan here. I think I'd rather get blown up." Cassandra grumbled. "Think you can help us out, doc?"

Meredith gave the both of them a nod and gripped a metal clipper from Connor's table, being wary of any more arrows. She stood behind Damon first since he was the most easily accessible. She started cutting away parts of the arrow and didn't even cringe at the sound of the wood being separated from his skin. Cassandra picked up a letter that was resting on the edge of the table and read it quietly to herself. It was a letter from Pastor Young to his daughter April expressing how sorry he was for everything happening and that a greater evil was coming.

"How well did you know Pastor Young?" Cassandra asked the young doctor.

"He was a patient of mine. He was always a nice guy." She replied while still keeping her eyes on the arrow.

"Nice, crazy guy!" Damon said exaggeratedly.

"Seriously, this letter he wrote to April mentions sacrifice and war brewing in Mystic Falls." The hybrid passed the letter to Damon who read it over quickly and allowed Meredith to read it as well over his shoulder.

"What does he mean "a greater evil is coming"? Don't we have enough evil already?" The doctor wrinkled her nose and continued to chip away at the arrow until the sharp head was severed from the rest of the arrow. "You're all set." She nodded and Damon pulled the rest of the offending wood out of him with a growl. Meredith kneeled down by Cassandra and used the cutter to break the wood embedded in her thigh.

"This sucks." She grumbled. "Next time, we're getting Stefan to do this."

* * *

"Damon! Put me down!"

"Oh, will you knock it off?"

"No, I can walk on my own!"

The two bickered as Damon kicked the front door of the boarding house closed with his foot and shifted Cassandra in his arms. He insisted on carrying her home despite her protests and the slight limp she had when she walked was an indication that she was in pain. "You should like this." He sighed as he carried her up the stairs.

"Well…maybe I do." She shrugged and laced her arms around his neck. "It's very sweet that you want to carry your injured fiancé around and take care of her."

Damon wiggled his eyebrows at her and pinched her behind. "I can take care of you much better when we get upstairs." His voice was low and husky, making her shiver and smirk at him. Opening the door to their bedroom, his forehead creased at the array of clothes that were littering the floor. Cassandra hopped out of his arms and limped over to where she saw Elena tossing some of her expensive shoes over her shoulder.

"Hey! Be careful with those!" She shouted and Elena turned, clearly startled.

"I'm sorry. I just…" Elena trailed off awkwardly.

"Hope you plan on cleaning this up." Damon tapped his foot impatiently and closed the door behind him.

"I need bourbon to get through Rebekah's party. Yours is stronger than Stefan's." The young vampire explained and Damon shrugged his shoulders.

"Top drawer in the dresser." He replied and started unbuttoning his shirt. His lips were pulled into a thin line seeing that his shirt was ruined because of the arrow and huffed. "I'll be in the shower." He walked past Cassandra, giving her that 'eye thing' he does and she returned it with a wink.

Elena blurred to the drawer and yanked it open, rifling through its contents and frowned seeing that there was just clothes in there. "There's nothing here."

"Well, of course we're not going to leave the only white oak stake just lying around." Cassandra noted and Elena stopped her searching. "Stefan told me about what happened at school."

"It's just…she made me so angry!" Elena growled. "She was talking about how Stefan used to love her and about how she killed Ric! I got so angry and I just wanted to kill her!"

"All this anger you're feeling, it's–"

"Intensified, I know! God, you sound like Stefan! Actually, everyone sounds like Stefan! They're all trying to tell me that my emotions are heightened and that I have to control them, but I can't help it if I'm acting like a–"

"A complete bitch?" Cassandra finished for her and Elena stood silently. She opened and closed her mouth a bunch of times, not really sure of what to say. "I understand, Elena."

The newborn vampire ran a hand through her hair and sat on the edge of Damon's bed. "I just feel so down and I can't pick myself up. This whole transition is killing me."

Cassandra gave her a nod and sat beside her. "It's hard. I'm not going to lie to you about that, but killing Rebekah won't make you feel any better. It might for a couple seconds, maybe a minute, but then you'll feel guilty."

"I know I will, but I still can't help but feel like I want to kill her." Elena huffed. "I keep having these violent thoughts and I just can't make them stop."

"Like thoughts of ripping Rebekah's head off and mounting it on the wall?" Cassandra inquired and the smaller brunette nodded. "You'll learn to control those, although every time I see Rebekah I want to tear out her heart and feed it to her." She rambled as she rose from the bed and dug through one of Damon's underwear drawers. She produced a bottle of bourbon and handed it to Elena. "Don't tell him I'm giving you this."

Elena gave her a little smile and took it in her hands. "This will work?"

"Yep."

"He keeps alcohol in his underwear drawer?" Elena giggled and so did Cassandra.

"You'll get through this, Elena. I know it seems impossible now, but you'll get better." Cassandra consoled. "I mean, look how far you've come already. You were even able to compel April to forget and compulsion is pretty tough. Especially for a newbie vampire."

"Yeah, I guess I did well." Elena shrugged and toyed with the bottle in her hands. "Speaking of compulsion, I remember meeting you the first time.

Cassandra tilted her head to the right, not quite understanding what Elena was getting at but the realization dawned on her. "Ah, that's right. Sorry I had to compel you to forget, but I didn't want anyone to know that I was around just yet.

"That's okay. You told me that you came back for Damon." The brunette recalled and Cassandra smiled.

"Mmhmm, I'm glad I did."

"Me too." The girls embraced tightly.

They spoke for a little while longer until Stefan came to pick up Elena, leaving Cassandra alone with the mess in her and Damon's room. Shaking her head, she began to pick up the many items strewn all over until she heard the shower turn on in the bathroom. A smirk spread across her lips as she dropped what she picked up back on the floor and stripped herself of her own clothing, adding to the piles on the hardwood floor. There were more pressing matters at hand, like satisfying her fiancé rather than cleaning their room. Once she was completely naked, she snuck into the bathroom, making sure to be out of Damon's line of vision. He was a vision all wet and soapy with the steam from the shower surrounding him. His taut, muscular body made her mouth water and she couldn't wait to dig her sharp fangs into his skin and taste his succulent blood.

Damon continued to shower; rinsing the dried blood off him and it dripped down his body and swirled down the drain. He knew that Cassandra was watching him, partly because he heard Elena leave and he also smelled her current arousal within the bathroom. He wanted to tease her, so he danced his right hand down his body till he reached his hardening cock. His hand gripped it firmly and he started to stroke himself slowly. The raven haired vampire's eyes fluttered closed and his head leaned back onto his shoulders as he established a steady pace. His thumb would occasionally brush the underside of his head, sending jolts of pleasure throughout his body. He knew that this would drive her absolutely crazy and he took pride in hearing her breath catch in her throat. It wouldn't be long until she joined him.

Through hooded eyes Cassandra watched Damon's hand work at his cock, making it harder with each stroke and felt herself growing jealous of his hand. She sincerely wished that it her hand wrapped around his growing cock, but she was aware that he was doing this to tease her. Wanting to play the same game as him, she left her hiding spot in the bathroom and sauntered to the counter, seeming aloof to Damon's intentions. She hummed innocently and checked herself in the mirror, fluffing her hair and pursing her lips at her reflection. Her brown eyes caught Damon's now open eyes, giving him a playful look and perched herself on the counter. Her legs hung off the edge and she stretched her arms above her head, letting out a sweet sigh. Cassandra then let her fingertips skim through her hair, down her neck, over her collarbone before grasping her full breasts.

His blue eyes remained enthralled as she tugged lightly on her raised nipples. Her hands cupped her breasts, massaging them slowly and her head tipped back at the pleasing sensation. Brushing her thumbs over her nipples made it feel like she was dragging a feather across her skin, just barely giving her the desired pressure, but it gave her the aching that was pooling in between her legs. Damon's hand squeezed his cock harder, increasing the speed of his pace just so and Cassandra gave him a lustful smile. She propped her feet up just on the edge of the counter and spread her legs wide, exposing her wet, slick heat to him. The scent of her arousal coated the air and Damon found himself moaning aloud and licking his lips like a hungry beast. Sliding her hand down her stomach and circling her hipbones, Cassandra trailed her fingertips over her clit which was protruding from under its hood. She bit her bottom lip, swallowing a moan as she continued to play with herself and Damon felt his control slipping.

Cassandra smirked as she saw Damon fist his cock even harder now as he tried to bring himself closer to release. Her juices dribbled over her soaking lips and even dripped onto the counter. She was so unbelievable wet and needy and needed to climax desperately whether it be by her hand or Damon's cock. She plunged two fingers inside her, her body locking up at the sensation of being filled and she moaned hotly. Cassandra leaned back so her back came into contact with the mirror behind her and she was able to open herself up more for Damon's eyes. He yanked at his cock and growled fiercely, he was losing and he was losing fast. He couldn't take his baby blue eyes off her hot, slick heat as her fingers pounded into her core. Adding a third finger, Cassandra allowed herself to be stretched in anticipation for Damon's cock which was rock hard. Drops of pre cum spilled from his pulsing head and Cassandra fucked herself harder.

Damon's wrist twisted with each stroke, he wasn't even at a pace now, he was just jerking himself to get off. Watching Cassandra play with her deliciously slick pussy was feast for his eyes and he would be cumming within the next few strokes. Their eyes locked and Damon's balls cinched against his inner thigh. The hybrid smiled wryly as she watched Damon's cock explode, spurting and spilling his seed all over his hand and body. Damon groaned and shouted out profanities as he continued to milk himself for each drop of cum he had left. Exhausted, the raven haired vampire collapsed against the tile wall, panting wildly and letting a sated smile grace his lips. The remnants of his orgasm rushed through his veins, making his entire body feel numb. It was the faintest giggle that made his eyes snap open to look at Cassandra who was still pleasuring herself.

"I win." She breathed as her fingers worked herself into a fever pitch. Damon blurred from the shower and smashed his lips onto hers. She whimpered against his lips while his teeth nibbled roughly at her bottom lip. He established his dominance over her, growling and prowling his hands all over her body, however she didn't allow that for long. She hooked her legs around his torso and gripped his still sensitive cock. She pumped him roughly, using his cum as a lubricant along with the water from the shower. Cassandra could feel him growing hard in her hand once more and was looking forward to him being fully seated inside her. Once he was hard enough, Cassandra then smacked him against her throbbing clit. Damon's teeth gnashed together at the tiniest sting of pain from being over stimulated but reveled in the new and intense pleasure that was swelling inside him. She moaned at the quick, sharp pulses that shocked her body and she loved using him as her own personal sex toy.

Growing tired of waiting, she shoved him back into the shower and pinned him against the wall. Her legs remained locked around his waist and she impaled herself on his weeping cock. She stilled for a few moments, letting herself accommodate to his incredible width and to let Damon get accustomed to her hot, wet heat. Cassandra experimentally wiggled her hips slowly and Damon's grip on her ass tightened, making her purr in satisfaction that he was ready for her to move. She braced her hands on his shoulders and rotated her hips in tight circles, assuring that he caressed every place inside her.

"So fucking wet," Damon panted, his eyes rolling into the back of his sockets. Wet skin slapped against each other as Damon thrust his hips into hers.

"Oh, Damon! Don't stop, baby!" She screamed and clawed at his back, fresh trails of blood dripped down his body before being washed away by the water flowing from the showerhead.

"You are such a bad girl for teasing a big, bad vampire." He tisked and bit at her neck with his blunt teeth.

"Mmm, yes I am." She purred huskily as she increased her pace. Her walls constricted around his pulsing cock and Damon could feel him expanding and swelling deep inside her.

Damon removed his hands from her ass and took her hands off his shoulders. He switched their positions, slamming her back into the wall and laced their fingers together, raising their arms above their heads. Damon's lips found her neck as he pounded into her, his fangs brushed over the skin, teasing her like she teased him before. In the hot throes of their passion, she could hear him whimpering in her ear. "I love you." It was soft and sincere, making her squeeze his hands that were holding hers tightly.

"I love you, Damon." Those four words was the catalyst for their completion. Damon groaned against her neck and Cassandra threw her head back into the wall, feeling it crack underneath her skull. Her pussy fluttered sporadically and her moans coaxed Damon's cum to shoot out from his cock and coat her inner walls. He was warm as he filled her to the brim and their bodies were shaking at the intenseness of their orgasms. Cassandra's legs felt like jello as she struggled to hold onto him and Damon unlaced their fingers and held her in his arms. His forehead leaned against hers, the both of them breathing heavily from the exhaustion of their encounter. Their lips ghosted gently over one another's, claiming them in a sweet kiss. "Mmm, I don't want to move." She moaned quietly. "I want to stay like this forever."

"I do too." Damon nudged his nose with hers. "But, sooner or later, the water's gonna turn cold."

"Then we can dry off and move this to the bedroom." Cassandra suggested with a smirk and Damon chuckled, grounding his hips against hers. She could feel his cock hardening once again within her and she whimpered, biting at his lips.

"Round two?" Damon pulled back and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Ah, why the hell not?" She giggled.

* * *

Jeremy Gilbert watched patiently as Damon stood in front of the fireplace while Cassandra was sitting in one of the large armchairs with a glass of blood mixed with bourbon in her hands. After he met with Connor, the youngest Gilbert sought out Damon and Cassandra's help to bring this hunter down. They had devised a plan to corner Connor and see what he was all about.

"I think it could work." Jeremy nodded. "He thinks that I'm going to just lead him to a vampire."

"So, this is full proof then?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, uh, he seems pretty convinced." The teen fiddled around with his vervain bracelet.

"Anything else we should know about this guy before we walk into this?" Damon asked.

"He's got this tattoo and I'm the only one that can see it." He said and the two supernatural's exchanged a sideways glance.

"What? Why?" The hybrid mused.

"You can see ghosts and now you can see tattoos. Congrats, Jeremy. It looks like you're moving up the supernatural ladder." Damon quipped and Jeremy just ignored him.

"He told me that I'm a potential hunter and that's why I can see the tattoo." The teen explained.

"Maybe Connor is the 'greater evil' that Pastor Young was talking about?" Cassandra guessed before taking a long sip of blood.

"As if we didn't have enough problems." The raven haired vampire grumbled and the door bell rang promptly.

Cassandra rose from her seat and traipsed over to the front door. Opening it, she was greeted with a familiar face. "Ugh. You." She deadpanned.

"Now is that anyway to greet an old friend?" The Original hybrid snickered. "You're looking fresh-faced, darling. I mean, being back from the dead and all."

"And you look repulsive now that you're back in your own body." Cassandra gritted her teeth. "What do you want?" She crossed her arms across her chest and Damon happened to join her.

"My question exactly." Damon agreed and placed a hand at the base of Cassandra's neck, kneading the tenseness in the back.

"Well, Damon, you gave me a call about taking down the new hunter." Klaus replied simply.

"I thought you were kidding!" Damon said exasperatedly.

"You called him?" Cassandra turned back to face Damon who put his hands up in surrender.

"No, I called _Tyler_." He pressed.

Klaus then walked over the threshold, pushing past the couple. "And I accepted in his place. Tyler has a lot of thinking to do."

"What does that mean?" The hybrid eyed him as he just made himself at home and followed him into the living room.

"No matter, but this hunter has become quite a problem and needs to be eliminated." Klaus answered and uncapped a bottle of bourbon that was on the coffee table. "It looks like the four of us will be working together." He regarded them with a head nod as he poured himself a glass.

"Unfortunately." Cassandra grumbled and Klaus sent her a look to which she just shrugged off.

"Look, we have to get Connor out of here. He's a threat to my sister and he's a threat to all of you." Jeremy stood and addressed the vampire and hybrids. Each set of eyes glanced into the set of another and they all came to the conclusion that they had to work with one another to eliminate Connor.

"Then let's hunt the hunter." Cassandra raised her glass to toast the gentlemen before her.

* * *

With quick and stealthy strides, Connor followed Meredith Fell closely as she walked down the white hallways of the hospital. Jeremy had given him a tip that Dr. Fell had been keeping vampire blood in vials and was using it to heal her patients. He was following her to confront her and hopefully find a vampire who was donating his blood. The hunter watched as she opened the door to a room at the end of the hall and waited a couple of seconds before following her inside the room. His eyes darted around the storage shelves before sensing a presence along with him.

"Back for more?" He asked into the dimly lit room and Cassandra stepped into view from behind one of the shelves.

Her head cocked to the side with a smirk on her lips, "No thanks. Being attached to a bomb was enough for one day."

Connor reached for his gun, aiming it at the female hybrid when he was immediately met with a sharp arrow in his arm. The gun dropped to the floor and he bent to retrieve it but another arrow was quickly released and embedded itself in his side. The hunter groaned and looked up at Cassandra; he knew that he had been trapped. Each arrow was lined to a bomb, much like how the traps were set up in his trailer.

It was now Damon's turn to show himself as he joined Cassandra's side, a piece of paper in his hands. "Stings, doesn't it?"

The hunter reached for his gun again in hopes to eliminate the couple in front of him, but a heavy foot landed on his hand, kicking the gun out of the way.

"Hello, mate." Klaus smirked at Connor and plucked the weapon off the floor, passing it to Cassandra to hold. She removed the bullets, mixing them around in the palm of her hand before reloading the gun again.

"How would you like a few rounds in your head?" She asked menacingly and cocked the gun.

"You might as well. You three are gonna kill me anyway." Connor spat.

"Well, let's not be too hasty." Klaus chimed in. "I feel like we're just getting to know each other."

"Let's start with the basics. Where are you from?" Damon paced in front of the hunter.

"What do you know?" Cassandra added.

"Maybe you can cue us in on this 'greater evil', because I've fought this guy," The raven haired vampire pointed a finger at Klaus. "and there's nothing more evil than that."

The hybrid in questioned smiled from ear to ear. "Yes, truth be told, I'm as evil as it gets."

"Let's not make his ego too big, Damon." Cassandra grumbled. "It's already big enough."

"I'm not telling you anything. And if you think if you kill me it's gonna be over, there's another waiting to take my place." Connor spoke.

"See, this is what I like to hear; vague threats, ominous prophecies, disappearing tattoos." Damon quipped and Cassandra gave him a smirk back.

Klaus's face paled, his once confident demeanor becoming transparent. "What tattoo?" He asked lowly.

"Don't bother. You can't see the damn thing." The vampire shook his head.

"There's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?" Klaus kneeled to be eye level with Connor as if to examine him more closely. With a quick hand, Connor drew a thin stake from his pocket and moved to stab Klaus, but the hybrid gripped his wrist. "Nice try, but I'm faster than your average vampire." He twisted Connor's arm, making him let go of the stake so he could take a closer look. Klaus's eyes ran over the intricate, black symbols carved into the hilt and this only further confirmed his suspicions. "You're one of the Five." He said gravely.

Both Damon and Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "The what?" Cassandra asked.

"And I'm faster than your average hunter." Connor growled before grasping the string and yanking on it, setting off the bombs. Damon and Cassandra were propelled from the force of the explosion and landed face first on the white floor of the hospital. They shielded each other from the harsh flames and heat before crawling out of harm's way.

* * *

Hours later, firefighters were assessing the damage from the explosion in the hospital. Damon and Cassandra stood outside the room, unscathed, and spoke with Carol Lockwood who had been called about the massive fire.

"So, the sniper was inside?" The Mayor asked.

"Yep, still is. In tiny pieces." Damon remarked.

"Good. I'll cancel the curfew and call off the extra patrols." Carol nodded, finally feeling at ease that the man who shot her son twice was dead. "I can't say I approve of your methods."

"Well, we can at least all sleep easier knowing that Connor is dead." Cassandra noted.

"I'll give a donation. You can name a wing after me, Mayor." The raven hair vampire joked and they bid Carol goodbye. They walked into the waiting room to see Jeremy standing there and smiling like an idiot.

"See, I told you I could be a badass." He proclaimed.

"Shh, badasses don't say that." Damon smirked and laced an arm around Cassandra's waist.

"Hey, Doc!" Cassandra called to Meredith who was speaking with a nurse. "Nice job."

"You told me the plan was to lead him to the storage room!" Dr. Fell hushed.

"And we did. Congrats." He smiled.

"You left out the part about blowing up a hospital! With patients who are sick and fragile and who don't need things exploding down the hall from them!" She was beyond angry that they had put many patients in danger.

"It was contained and no one got hurt." Cassandra defended. "It had to be done or else Connor would hunt us all down."

Dr. Fell gave a short huff before storming down the hall and Damon shrugged. "Oh, well. I say let's have a drink to celebrate."

"Cheers to that!" Cassandra smiled.

* * *

"Stop!" Damon growled and held his hands up in front of a blood thirsty Elena. The new born vampire hissed, her fangs were sharp and covered with blood. "Stop!" He repeated and Elena's blood lust faded as her eyes landed on Matt who was bleeding heavily from his wrist. Her horrific vampire face shied away and the repercussions of what she had done set in.

"What have I done?" She whimpered.

"Elena," Cassandra took a step towards her.

"Oh my god…what did I do?" The baby vampire cried. "I hurt him."

"Shh, calm down. Just breathe." She cooed and grabbed some paper towels from the holder that was perched on the counter. The hybrid wiped her face of any excess blood while Damon compelled Matt to forget what had happened tonight and leave.

"I can't believe I hurt him…I never wanted to hurt him." Elena shook with heavy sobs and Cassandra hugged her close. They knew that this would happen. They knew that sooner or later, Elena would lose control and hurt someone.

"I know, Elena, but it was an accident. Matt will be okay and most importantly, _you_ will be okay." Cassandra combed through Elena's hair, trying to calm her down while Damon watched on. This reminded her of when Vanessa made her first kill. Granted, Elena didn't kill anyone, yet, but Matt was one of her best friends. Vanessa had killed a young man who wasn't much older than she was, she just couldn't stop feeding. The hunger called to her and sucked her in.

"I couldn't stop." The vampire whimpered. Vanessa had said the very same thing. "What have I done?"

"Nothing you should be ashamed of. You are a vampire now. You just have to learn the right way to be one." Damon chimed in and Cassandra let go of the young vampire. She wiped her tears and Elena seemed to calm down.

"And we're going to teach you." Cassandra spoke and Elena looked up at her with wide eyes. Damon was partly surprised as well since she was going to take the initiative to help Elena because they both knew that Stefan would be upset with them. It was hurting Cassandra to watch Elena become so upset and part of her could identify with the young vampire. She had a problem feeding when she was a new vampire, so she completely understood each and every emotion that she was feeling. Elena's shocked expression turned into one of trust as she smiled slightly. She felt that deep within her heart Cassandra would take care of her and show her the proper way to feed. Tonight, she could sleep easier knowing that there was a way to help her. All hope wasn't completely gone.

* * *

**Please review :D**

********I was scrolling through fanfic the other day and came across a super smutty one-shot. If you like a lemony fic where an OC is at the mercy of the infamous Salvatore brothers, this is the story for you! It's called 'Bloodlust' and it's written by RunningInAir. I highly suggest checking it out and giving her a review! She's an awesome writer and it was a pleasure messaging back and forth with her. Maybe if you give her enough reviews, she'll write a part two to her fic ;)****


	5. The Five

**My lovely readers! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thank you so much for all of the amazing love and support! Your reviews drive me to keep writing :)**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

"So, what's all this?" Stefan asked.

"Some personal items that we snaked from the vampire hunter's RV." Cassandra huffed as she set down her box with a loud thud. She and Damon took the pleasure in raiding Connor's trailer, taking whatever items they thought would prove to be useful.

Damon followed behind her with his own box. He lifted a hand to his lips, kissing it and holding his hand in the air. "May he rest in peace."

"And you know for a fact that he was supernatural?" The green eyed vampire questioned.

"Definitely wasn't natural." Cassandra shook her head as she pulled out a distilling set from the box and set it aside.

"The guy magically appeared just as someone blows up the entire Founder's Council. He's covered in a tattoo that only Jeremy Gilbert, of all people in the world, seems to be able to see. And Klaus mentioned something about him being one of the Five." Damon continued to rifle through his box and Stefan suddenly seemed to tense, but it went unnoticed.

"Then he kamikazes himself with explosives. Sound normal to you?" The hybrid raised an eyebrow.

"What the Five?" Stefan asked.

"That's what I'm hoping is in the first chapter of the handbook." Damon smirked just as his phone rang in his pocket. "Liz Forbes, my favorite sheriff." He greeted with a smile but as he listened to the conversation, his lips fell into a frown. Cassandra listened in too and she also found herself questioning what Liz was telling him. "What? That's…concerning. Keep me posted." He promptly hung up the phone while Stefan eyed him.

"What? You're not gonna tell me?" Stefan shrugged.

"Can't tell you. Private. We're in a fight." Cassandra remarked snottily.

"You're in a fight. I'm not in a fight. I'm over it, I've been over it." The vampire defended.

"You? Being 'over it'?" She had to hold back the urge to chuckle. "That's a laugh!"

"I'm angry that you let Elena feed off you without telling me, but we're not in a fight." Stefan shook his head. He would never win an argument with Cassandra no matter how hard he tried.

"Well, if you must know…they didn't find any remains at the explosion sight." Damon chimed in.

"So much for not telling him anything…" She grumbled.

"That means that Connor is still out there." Stefan then started to look through the box.

"Apparently so. I'm gonna need you to get on this today. We're taking Elena to college." Damon smirked.

Stefan's eyes went wide and his brooding look actually changed to one of surprise. "I'm sorry; you have to do what, exactly?"

"We are teaching her how to feed." Cassandra slowed down each word and syllable to make sure Stefan got it through his thick head. "She needs to properly learn how to feed now more than ever." Stefan opened his mouth, ready to fight her once again, but Cassandra held up a finger. "Ah, ah! We're not in a fight, remember?" She giggled and pranced to her room, very eager to go back to college again.

* * *

Damon pulled his faded blue Camero to the Whitmore campus, parking in the middle of the walkway. Bonnie, Elena, Cassandra and Damon exited the car and took in the students around them that were buzzing with energy.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Elena asked her childhood friend.

"If I could spell you out of wanting blood, I would, but I can't. So better you learn this now than at freshman orientation." Bonnie replied as they all walked around the campus.

Elena looked around at the array of college students that walked through the campus. Many were chatting with their friends about reading lists and studying together in the library and she frowned. "Something tells me that college is in my future anymore." Elena frowned as a group of students passed her, probably on their way to class.

"Oh, come on. Don't throw yourself a pity party. If I went to college than you can go to college." Damon said.

"You went to college?" Elena chuckled.

"Sure. Lots of times." He nodded. "I had a thing for sorority girls." Cassandra rolled her eyes but Damon gave her a quick kiss on her temple.

"You're disgusting." Bonnie grimaced.

"I know." The vampire smirked.

"Seriously, Elena. I went to college too." Cassandra chimed in and the baby vampire seemed to feel a little bit better. Damon didn't exactly seem like the kind of guy who went to college for the education.

"Really?" The brunette smiled slightly.

"Sure. I was even a professor for a little while." Cassandra said proudly.

"Ooh, when was this?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows. "I would have loved to be your student." The four of them started walking throughout the campus grounds and the couple could see that Elena didn't look as miserable.

"So, what did you teach?" Bonnie asked excitedly.

"Oh, I jumped all around. Psychology, Foreign Languages, History."

"Well, you did live through everything." Damon quipped.

"Hey! Teaching was a lot of fun. Plus all the boys were always willing to stay after class for some extra credit." She added with a smirk.

"I'd be happy to do some extra credit, Professor Emerson." He purred in her ear and laced his fingers with hers.

Bonnie led the way to one of the lecture halls on the south side of campus. The class was already in session when they snuck in and sat down. A young professor was animatedly teaching his class and showing slides at the front on a projector.

"When I say the word "witch", what pops into your head?" He asked the class. "Halloween costume? Villain or fairytale? Maybe an ex girlfriend? Well, whatever image it is it's probably not." The professor flipped to another slide. "Tanyell Soso of Montego, Cameroon."

"Is that him?" Elena whispered to Bonnie.

"Yeah," The witch nodded, keeping her eyes on him.

"He's kind of…"

"Hot." Both girls giggled and smiled to themselves while Damon rolled his eyes at their teen drama.

"Now, in reality, or at least, witches appear to cross every culture in history. They're the architects of the supernatural; responsible for everything that goes bump in the night from ghosts to vampires to doppelgangers." Professor Shane's lecture was very interesting, but Cassandra and Damon found it strange that he was so knowledgeable of the supernatural world, let alone teaching it in a classroom.

"What's this guy? Witchopedia?" Damon snickered and Cassandra giggled quietly as to not alert the professor that they were fooling around.

"Shh! Shut up!" Bonnie hushed and the couple frowned.

"Now, if you're a skeptic, you'd call that a coincidence. But, if you're a true believer, you know that there's really no such thing. It scares the crap out of us." He continued his lecture and Elena found herself leaning over towards Cassandra.

"What if I'm a Ripper?" She asked in her ear.

"You're not a Ripper." The hybrid shook her head.

"What if I am?" She asked again nervously.

"Well then, pick someone and we'll find out." Damon chimed in, leaning across the row. Elena sent him a glare before turning her eyes the various students in the lecture hall. She landed on a guy sitting in the front row, "Stoner guys are no good to grab. They're too paranoid–"

"And you don't need the extra buzz." Cassandra added. "I had one too many stoners in my day. Trust me, not fun."

"Now she is a fun size, a tutor." Damon pointed at a skinny girl a couple seats down who was hurriedly scrawling in her notebook and listening intently to Professor Shane's lecture.

"Hmm, no good." Cassandra shook her head. "Too geeky. She'll get too suspicious if you're too nice to her." Elena nodded, her head was swirling with all of this new information she was receiving and was trying to catalogue it all. "Ooh, what you want is the blonde girl in the front." She jerked her head to a pretty girl sitting at her desk and playing on her cell phone.

Damon slung an arm around Cassandra's shoulder, clearly pleased with her pick. "Self absorbed, easily flattered. Just separate her from the pack and make your move."

"Am I interrupting you guys?" Professor Shane asked, halting his lecture, and each student in the lecture hall looked over their shoulders at the couple to which Cassandra glared at them. "Or is it maybe the other way around?"

"Sorry," Elena apologized sheepishly.

"We were just talking about how much we love witches." Damon smiled innocently and ran his finger over the shell of Cassandra's ear.

"Yeah, you and me bother, brother." Professor Shane nodded with a smile. "Alright, listen, we should probably talk about the readings that none of you did." The vampire pulled Cassandra close to him and kissed her cheek, ignoring what Professor Shane had to say.

* * *

Professor Shane dismissed class a little earlier than usual, telling the class that they should use this extra time to get a jump start on their assignments for the weekend. Damon, Elena, and Cassandra kept a close eye on the blonde girl that they planned for the young vampire's meal.

"She's young and healthy. She'll heal up like a charm. Just keep your eye on the ball, okay?" Damon coached.

"It's not a game, Damon." She grumbled irritably. She was hungry and she just wanted to get this over with.

"Fine. It's not a game. It's a high stakes dangerous maneuver." He chuckled.

"Elena, look, just do it like we practiced." Cassandra took her by the shoulders a squeezed comfortingly. Elena nodded, her soul filled with determination as she marched after her meal. "I'm worried about her, Damon." She said under her breath, making sure that Elena didn't hear her.

"Easy, she'll be okay. Just give her some time. You're doing great." He hugged her from behind and she immediately felt comforted by his warm embrace. They watched Elena work her vampire charm and for the most part, she was doing beautifully. She compelled the girl and was ready to feed until she looked down at the girl's phone.

"Who's that?" Elena asked, keeping her eyes on the picture.

"It's my little sister." The blonde replied.

"Oh shit," Damon growled. He knew that Elena was going to crack in 3…2…1.

"Get out of here. Go back to class." She compelled and the girl ran off. Damon gave a frustrated sigh while Elena looked disappointed in herself.

"What the hell did you just do?" Damon and Cassandra walked up the teen.

"I just…I saw the picture and I–"

"Everybody is someone's uncle or father or camp counselor or bible study teacher. Elena, you don't know these people, so why do you care?" He asked.

"I care because I'm still me. I still have the same feelings, Damon. Sorry if that spoils your master plan to turn me into a super vampire." She grumbled and her eyes watered.

Cassandra immediately stepped in, "Hey, don't get upset. It's okay. So, we didn't do it this time. There's always the next time."

"I guess so," Elena shrugged.

Bonnie walked up to the trio and could immediately pick up on the tension between all of them. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Elena is educating me on the importance of feelings." Damon snickered and Cassandra smacked him upside the head. "Ow…"

"Don't be snarky." She jabbed a finger at him.

"Did you talk to the professor?" Elena asked Bonnie and the witch nodded.

"For a second. He found some stuff of my Grams' in his office and he's gonna dig it up for me." She explained excitedly.

Some frat boys were prowling around the campus grounds, handing out flyers to other students. They approached the group and the leader of the pack batted their eyes at Cassandra. "Hi ladies."

"Hi," Both Bonnie and Elena replied.

"Would you guys like to come to our party tonight?" One of them asked and handed a flyer to Cassandra.

"Hmm, sounds like a lot of fun." The hybrid smiled and felt Damon's arm trap around her waist.

"Sure. It'll be loads of fun. Now get lost." He compelled them and they sulked off, handing out flyers to other girls.

"No need to get jealous." Cassandra cooed and kissed his cheek.

"Well, I didn't like the way he was leering at you." The vampire plucked the flyer from her hands. "Oh, nice, the answer to all our problems. A frat party, douche central. Which is why, we'll be eating very well tonight." He rubbed his hands together and his mouth watered at the meals he could score tonight.

"Ooh, a costume party." Cassandra smiled.

"So, what should we go as? Victims or killers?" Damon smirked.

* * *

Klaus, Rebekah and Stefan sat around the dining room table in the Mikaelson mansion while Klaus's many servants placed plates of food down in front of them. Another servant came around with a bottle of wine, pouring each vampire a cup.

"Thank you, my lovely." Klaus purred to her and she gave a smile, clearly compelled to follow his every demand. He waved her off and she left promptly. "I could kiss the Council for burning up all the vervain in town. They made my life so much easier. Rebekah, love, eat your veggies."

"I'm not eating until you apologize." Rebekah crossed her arms across her chest.

"For which indiscretion? There have been so many." Her brother shrugged and took a sip of wine.

"You broke my neck." She bit.

"You threw away Elena's blood, so I can't make any more hybrids."

"Because you took me for granted."

"That's what big brothers do, sweetheart."

Stefan let out a sigh, he just hated being in the middle of a sibling quarrel. "Let me just name the million other people I'd rather be having dinner with right now."

"Alright, fine. I'm sorry." Klaus apologized to his little sister. "I often forget how delicate you are. Forgive me?"

"I'll take it under consideration." Rebekah moved some food around on her plate with her fork.

"Okay, good. Now why don't you tell me about Rebekah's hunter?" Stefan asked.

"Right, Alexander." The hybrid nodded. "Nice chap, foregoing the obvious issues. He was looking for creatures of the night which is why we felt quite safe around him wearing our daylight rings."

_Italy 1114_

"_I am unaccustomed to such luxury." Alexander proclaimed as he addressed Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah. Many young maidens brought trays of pork, vegetables, and potatoes while others set bottles of wine on the table._

"_Well, it's the least we could do to repay you for opening our eyes to the truth. We're curious to hear more about your order." Elijah spoke. "Your crusade."_

"_We are but five men. Bound by fire and the last dying breath of a witch to a single cause; the destruction of all vampires." The hunter explained._

"_And how do you hope to achieve this?" Klaus asked with a raised eyebrow._

"_We have the ultimate weapon which no vampire can survive." Alexander prided himself on the brotherhood of the Five and considered it a great honor to be a member._

_"Alexander, enough business for one day." A young brunette interceded as she walked up to the table with a tray of fruits in her hands._

_"I was just informing our friends here of my order." He chuckled and reached his hand to pluck a bunch of grapes from the tray but the woman smacked his hand._

_"You forget your manners? Offer to your guests first." She chided and moved to Klaus's side. "Fruit, my lords and my lady?"_

_"Grazie, signora." Elijah greeted with a smile as he took up the bunch of grapes that Alexander had his eyes on. He split the bunch and tossed it across the table to Alexander who caught it quickly._

_"Many thanks, Lord Elijah." He smiled and popped a grape in his mouth._

_"It's the least I could do for a gracious host." He raised his glass to toast Alexander._

_"My brother may be a gracious host, but I've brought the food." The woman joked and placed the tray down on the table before taking an orange for herself._

_"Please excuse my sister, Giuliana; she is quite rude at times." Alexander chuckled and his sister threw him a glare._

_She peeled the skin of the orange back with a sharp knife, spiraling it around. "Never talk ill of your sister when she has a knife in her hands." The entire table let out a string of laughs, Klaus was the most intrigued by her quick wit and smart mouth. "I'm sure you'd like to keep your tongue." She smirked and discarded of her orange peel._

_Klaus chuckled to himself and let his eyes survey this new woman. She had long hair down to her bottom which hung in long waves. Two pieces in the front were braided and then pinned back, a simple hairstyle that flattered any woman. Her hair had little undertones of gold highlights, probably from spending many a lazy afternoon the warm Italian sun. Her complexion must have been affected by the sun as well; her skin was a deep olive tone and complimented the blonde in her hair. Giuliana was a fit young woman, about the same physique as Rebekah but she certainly wasn't cold like only Mikaelson girl. She had a carefree air surrounding her, which made the Mikaelsons a little envious since they were this way when they were human. Her eyes sparked like a thousand emeralds, the deep color became even more pronounced when the sun hit them at the right angle._

_"My pleasure, my lady." Elijah nodded._

_"Yes, you have been a wonderful hostess." Klaus agreed and Giuliana smiled back at them._

_"Thank you, my lords." She bowed her head graciously._

_"Now, about the brotherhood-" Alexander didn't even get to finish his thought before hearing a groan from his sister._

_"Alexander, please!" She sighed. "You are boring your guests."_

_"No, please, we are eager to hear of your cause." Elijah spoke respectfully._

_Alexander cleared his throat before beginning once more. Giuliana rolled her eyes and stuffed an orange wedge in her mouth. While her older brother was bragging, she noticed that the blonde Mikaelson was staring at him. Her blue eyes held onto every word and she smiled whenever he looked at her. Giuliana giggled to herself seeing that her brother had an admirer._

"So, that's what this is about? A weapon." Stefan spoke.

"Not just any weapon." Rebekah shook her head.

"Rebekah, love, don't get ahead of the story." Klaus chided playfully.

"How is a weapon the answer to all of my prayers?" The green eyed vampire asked, but neither Klaus nor Rebekah gave him an answer. "Okay. Why don't we just skip the theatrics and get right to the point?"

"Not quite yet." Klaus leaned his elbows on the table. "Because in order to find this weapon, we need to solve the puzzle. Which seems to have disappeared."

"What puzzle?" Stefan inquired but then the realization dawned on him. "The tattoo. What is it?"

"A map. Leading us to its treasure." Klaus nodded.

"Fat lot of good a tattoo's gonna do, if we can't see it." Rebekah was just about tired of sitting and talking about Alexander and the Five.

"Well, our friend in the other room informed us that there is someone in this town who can." Her brother smirked and beckoned for a hybrid slave to bring out Jeremy.

"I'm not helping you with anything." The teen fought against the grip of his captor. Klaus's minion yanked Jeremy's ring off his finger and tossed it to Klaus who held it up teasingly.

"Oh, I'm afraid you are."

* * *

"Someone looks very dapper." Cassandra smirked as her eyes trailed up and down Damon's form. He was dressed as Jack the Ripper, complete with an old fashioned cape and top hat. They compelled some freshman to let them use their suite to change in before the party.

"Did you decide on a cost-" Damon's words stopped in their tracks as his eyes landed on Cassandra. She was dressed in a royal purple and black corset with a very tiny black tulle mini skirt. The curves on her body looked enticing and the skirt was just short enough to cover everything and accentuate her lusciously long legs. She did a little twirl for him and Damon's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh, did I mention how I love Halloween?" He strode towards her, draping his hands over her hips.

"Jack the Ripper and his victim." Cassandra stated and plucked Damon's top head off his head and placed it on hers.

"More like Jack the Ripper and his sexy mistress." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "I just wanna eat you up."

"Later," She sang.

"That better be a promise." Damon pinched her behind.

"Are we ready?" Bonnie asked from behind the pair. She and Elena were dressed as Victorian ladies of the night, complete with fake blood smeared on their skin. This was mainly for Elena to keep her cover when she fed tonight.

"Let's party." Cassandra smirked.

The frat house was crawling with college students as they walked up the front lawn. Students were drinking on the front lawn and the music was blasting from the inside of the house. Everyone was covered in fake blood and a large banner that read, _'The Murder House'_ was draped across the upper level of the house.

"Hey. I'm Frankie, unassuming serial killer." A frat boy greeted and handed them drinks.

"I'm Jack the Ripper and this is-"

"I'm his mistress." Cassandra purred seductively and took her drink. "And these are the two lovely ladies we just…rippered." She smiled at Frankie and flashed her fangs. It was a Halloween party after all, so she could expose her true nature without being questioned.

"Welcome to the Murder House. Bloody Mary's free until midnight. Enjoy yourselves." Frankie went off to join his other frat buddies while Elena looked around nervously.

"Well, hats off to these idiots." Damon exaggerated his point by taking off his top hat and waving it around. "Oh look! Professor Creepy."

"His name is Professor Shane. And he is not creepy." Bonnie scoffed and caught the professor's eyes. She handed Elena her drink and made her way towards the stairs. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

Once Bonnie was speaking with Professor Shane, Damon ushered both Cassandra and Elena through the haunted house. "Inebriated sleezballs all covered in blood. C'mon, pick one." Damon nudged Elena and her eyes looked over the throngs of college students. Her eyes landed on a guy flirting with a girl and her new vampire senses were able to catch him dropping a pill in the girls drink. Anger stirred within her seeing his, she'd chosen her victim.

"I think I found one." She hissed.

"Roofie guy?" Damon found the guy she was looking at.

"Mmhmm," Elena nodded.

"Nice choice. Go get him." Cassandra smiled. The pair watched Elena stalk off towards her meal like a natural. They followed closely and Cassandra plucked the roofied drink from the girl's hand.

"Hey! That's my drink!" She snapped and tried to grab it back.

"Oh no, you don't want this drink. Get another one." The hybrid compelled and the girl promptly stomped off to get another drink.

"My fiancé, saving the world one sorority girl at a time." Damon chuckled and Cassandra dumped the drink into a plant in the corner of the room.

"That guy's lucky I don't roofie him." The couple quickly tailed Elena to where she was already feeding on her victim.

"Now remember, the idea is _not_ to kill him." Damon said as Elena continued to feed.

"Well, if she kills him then we eliminate one scumbag from the face of the earth." Cassandra shrugged.

"Alright, Elena, that's enough." The vampire stated but Elena didn't cease her feeding. "Elena!"

"Step away from the ledge!" Cassandra reprimanded and Elena unhanded her meal. She compelled him to forget what happened and leave, allowing her teachers to assess her work.

"How do you feel?" Damon asked hesitantly seeing Elena's move back and forth.

"Talk to us, Elena." Cassandra spoke.

Elena lifted a hand to her mouth, wiping the excess blood away before letting a smile grace her lips. "I feel good." The baby vampire clapped happily and jumped at Cassandra and Damon, throwing her arms around them. "I did it! I can't believe I did it!"

"We're so proud of you, honey!" Cassandra beamed while Damon smiled as well.

"I want more." Elena's eyes were dark but a little glimmer of human Elena was still underneath. Damon and Cassandra exchanged a smirk with one another. They couldn't wait to have Stefan hear that Elena was doing just fine.

* * *

Back at the Mikaelson mansion, Jeremy was in the other room with Connor, sketching the tattoo as per Klaus's orders while Stefan and the two Original siblings were still discussing the Five.

"So, tell me more about this tattoo." Stefan prodded.

"My sister's suitor was unwilling to tell us anything. Rebekah, however, was more than willing to investigate." Klaus shot a glare at his sister who stamped her foot like a petulant child.

"You make it seem like I'm the only one who was interested in finding the cure." She growled. "Why don't you ask Elijah? He was quite comfortable with Giuliana. You were too, if I remember correctly."

"Alexander's sister?" Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, yes, but Elijah follows a strict moral code. Unlike you, sister." Klaus snickered.

"What? I'm being persecuted because I loved Alexander?" Rebekah was clenching her utensils in her fists.

"Your boyfriend and his friends decided one night to put us all down in our sleep." He hissed.

"How was I supposed to know?" She fumed.

Klaus took up his wine glass, raising it to Rebekah. "Cheers, to my sister's uncanny ability to choose men."

"I thought the daggers didn't work on you because of your werewolf side." Stefan stated and Klaus smirked.

"They don't."

"So, what happened then?" The vampire asked.

"I killed all of them." Klaus said simply. "But Alexander did promise Rebekah something special." Both men looked to the blonde and she stared down at her plate, clearly ashamed. "Go ahead, Rebekah. Tell him. Tell him what the hunter told you the tattoo leads to. What is this great weapon that could bring about the end of the vampire species?"

Rebekah lifted her watery eyes from her table setting, clearly hurt from her brother's constant jabbing at her heart. Even Stefan felt bad as well that he had agreed to get Rebekah over here. "A cure. He said there was a cure."

* * *

Cassandra couldn't help but feel so accomplished watching Elena dance and in crowds of college kids. The newborn vampire had successfully completed her first 'snatch, eat, erase' mission with ease. Cassandra stood like a proud parent as Elena laughed and giggled gleefully while dancing with some sorority girls.

"Shall we dance?" Damon purred in her ear and slipped an arm around her waist.

"I want to keep an eye on her." Cassandra noted and Damon gave a frown.

"She's doing fine!" He smiled too seeing that Elena was finally having fun.

"I know, but…"

"But nothing." He placed a finger on her lips. "You've worked yourself really hard with Elena and tonight, she won. We all won." He knew that Cassandra was uneasy with leaving Elena on her own, but she needed to let loose and have some fun herself. Cassandra has been playing the part of nurturing mother all day and Damon just wanted her to celebrate her victory. "So," Damon pulled forward a young red headed girl, already compelled. "I think this calls for a celebration."

Cassandra eyed the open wound on the girls' neck and licked her lips. She was so, so hungry and she hadn't really taken care of her own feeding needs since she constantly had Elena under her wing. She looked back at the dance floor in time to see Elena remove her fangs from a young man's neck and compel him to forget without missing a beat. Cassandra smiled once more, Elena made it look so easy.

"I guess I could have a drink." Cassandra used her finger to swipe up some blood from the bite mark and stuck it in her mouth.

"Oh, come on! When's the last time you got a little crazy?" Damon groaned.

Cassandra scoffed, "Well, sorry if I'm trying to be the only responsible adult here." She shoved him playfully.

"Don't tell me you're losing your edge now?" The vampire wiggled his eyebrows at her and Cassandra narrowed her eyes at him.

"Me? Losing my edge?" She questioned exaggeratedly and held the girl by the clean side of her neck. Her warm brown eyes were swimming in pools of crimson and her fangs entered the already broken skin.

* * *

The hybrid moaned out as the unlatched her fangs from her sixth victims' neck. Blood ran over her lips and down her chin, glistening in the strobe lights and fog from the dry ice machine. She was high off the combination of alcohol and blood that swam through her fangs, each meal more delicious than the last one. She had forgotten what it was like to have this much fun. For the most part, she tried to be the responsible adult when it came to things like this, but tonight she was throwing caution to the wind and letting her hair down. Her and Elena met eyes repeatedly throughout the night, communicating to one another that the latter was alright. Cassandra stalked around for another meal when a very familiar beat reached her ears.

_I see you over there, so hypnotic_

_Thinking 'bout what I do to that body_

_I get you like ooh baby baby_

_Ooh baby baby, ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby baby_

Cassandra let her lips swirl and twirl to the beat of the booming bass that shook the entire party. She ran her fingers through her luscious curls, a smirk painting her red lips as she eyed Damon from across the room. His own mouth and shirt was covered in blood, he had indulged in the festivities as well. Her lover threw her a wink and raised his red solo cup to toast her. He undressed her with his bright blue eyes, slowly unlacing her corset strings and ripping at her tulle skirt. He wanted to touch her so badly and make her scream, bringing her to the blissful edge of orgasm only to deny her of what she craved.

_Got no drink in my hand_

_But I'm wasted_

_Getting drunk of the thought of you naked_

_I get you like ooh baby baby_

_Ooh baby baby, ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby baby_

The hybrid felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned to see Damon behind her. She raised her hands in the air and Damon's arms circled her waist, pulling them back to chest. She made sure to press her body up against his so he felt each curve and dip on her body. Damon squeezed her hips, pushing them closer to his as he ground into her. His blunt teeth nibbled at her earlobe which made Cassandra let out a small whimper; however Damon was able to hear it. He then unsheathed his fangs and brushed them teasingly up and down the column of her neck. His hand wound around her body, settling over her soaking core and roughly groped her once. She growled out and he danced his index finger over her clit with such expertise. Cassandra's body arched against his as he continued to work her closer and closer to release. Damon gave her a love bite on her neck, leaving a mark before abruptly leaving his mate to go after his next meal.

_And I ain't trying to fight it, to fight it_

_But you're so magnetic, magnetic_

_Got one life, just live it, just live it_

_Now relax, sing it on your back_

_If you wanna scream, yeah_

_Let me know and I'll take you there_

_Get you going like ah-ooh_

_Baby baby ooh baby baby_

_Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby_

_If you wanna turn right_

_Hope you're ready to go all night_

_Get you going like ah-ooh_

_Baby baby ooh baby baby_

_Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby_

_If you wanna scream_

_Kill the lights, shut 'em off_

_You're electric_

_Devil eyes telling me come and get it_

_I have you like ooh_

_Baby baby ooh baby baby_

_Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby baby_

With blood red eyes, Cassandra watched him saunter away to a young girl that was dancing within close proximity to her. He had quite the nerve to leave his lover wanting and waiting. Becoming impatient, Cassandra's eyes found a young man who was watching her intently and beckoned him closer with a crooked finger. He looked over his shoulder, figuring that his exotic beauty wanted someone else but when he turned back, Cassandra was standing right in front of him. His heartbeat jumped, she nearly scared the shit out of him and Cassandra giggled, that reaction never got old.

_Girl tonight you're the prey_

_I'm the hunter_

_Take you here, take you there_

_Take you wonder_

_Imagine me whispering in your ear_

_Then I wanna, take off your clothes and put something on ya_

"Dance with me," She whispered in his ear and he heard her as clear as a bell even over the booming music. He nodded without a second thought and she led him out to the dance floor. Cassandra positioned them just so they were in Damon's eyesight and she danced chest to chest with her new victim. He held her waist, his hands squeezing her hips as she rolled them into his. Cassandra leaned in close to his neck and trailed the tip of her tongue over his sweaty skin. She felt his pulse beating rapidly and his blood rushed through his veins. Her dark eyes met Damon's, he was watching her dancing with his kid the entire time and she smirked at him, she had created the desired affect she wanted. Letting her hunger get the best of her, she pierced the boy's skin, feeling his body tense against hers. His blood sang on her tongue and glided down her throat. It burned slightly due to the momentous consumption of alcohol, but she enjoyed it.

_And I ain't trying to fight it, to fight it_

_But you're so magnetic, magnetic_

_Got one life, just live it, just live it_

_Now relax, sing it on your back_

_If you wanna scream, yeah_

_Let me know and I'll take you there_

_Get you going like ah-ooh_

_Baby baby ooh baby baby_

_Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby_

_If you wanna turn right_

_Hope you're ready to go all night_

_Get you going like ah-ooh_

_Baby baby ooh baby baby_

_Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby_

_If you wanna scream_

Cassandra unlatched her fangs from the young man and licked her lips. Her eyes were glazed with lust as she watched Damon feed off his victim. The girl in his grip sighed softly and Cassandra felt a little jealous that she was taking up Damon's attention. She knew that Damon loved her with every fiber in his being, but seeing him feed off a victim stirred something deep within her. He must have felt the same way when Klaus ever kissed her or looked at her. Cassandra didn't blame Damon for feeling that way; she was just trying to tame her inner beast from ripping that girl's throat out. She kept her eyes trained on the pair while looking for Elena in the crowd. She was doing fine, much better than she thought. Cassandra turned her eyes back to Damon and his meal and growled seeing the girl trail her hands down his body and her fingers started to work at the button and fly of his pants. She immediately sped over to the pair, yanking the college girl off him.

"Don't touch my fiancé." She hissed and the girl quickly scampered away due to Cassandra's compulsion.

"Jealous, Cass?" Damon smirked and Cassandra smashed her lips on his. They both moaned into each other's mouths as they tasted one another's victims on their tongues. Blood and liquor mixed beautifully and Cassandra griped Damon's hair, yanking roughly and exposing his neck to her hot lips. She licked up the trails of blood that painted his skin, sampling his other victims. Damon breathed in her ear, his teeth biting and tugging relentlessly as he felt her up underneath her tulle skirt.

_Out, louder, scream louder_

_Louder, louder, louder_

_Hey, tonight I scream, I'm on need_

With quick and stealthy hands, Cassandra flicked the button on his pants open and slipped her hands inside, gripping Damon's erect cock which was straining against his pants and squeezed, her eyes meeting his. "This." She stroked him slowly. "Is all mine." Her commanding voice made him twitch wildly in her tight grip. "If some little college slut tries to take it from me, her ass is mine."

Damon wiggled his eyebrows at her, breathing heavily from his cock being in her vice grip. "As long as I get to watch." He chuckled and closed his hand around hers, stroking him a little quicker. Damon let out a breathy moan, his hips bucking into her hand. He quickly blurred them, yanking her so her back was against his chest. He thrust his cock against her ass, the fabric of her lace panties heightening the sensation. She wrestled in his grip, eager to be the dominate one, but he held her hands down at her sides. "If you don't finish what you started, I swear to God, I'll fuck you right here in front of everyone."

"I wish you would." She purred and rubbed her ass against his cock.

"Just say the word, Cass." He begged desperately. "Tell me what you want."

"Bedroom. Now."

_If you wanna scream, yeah_

_Let me know and I'll take you there_

_Get you going like ah-ooh_

_Baby baby ooh baby baby_

_Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby_

_If you wanna turn right_

_Hope you're ready to go all night_

_Get you going like ah-ooh_

_Baby baby ooh baby baby_

_Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby_

_If you wanna scream_

In a tangle of limbs and a rush of movement, Damon flashed himself and Cassandra through the party to a bedroom on the second floor. There were two teens making out on the bed and Damon quickly disposed of them, compelling them to move their fun to another room. Cassandra threw him on the bed pining him down and unbuttoned his pants with her teeth. Leaving his pants on, she pulled his cock out, licking her lips before diving down and taking him into her mouth. Damon let out a loud yelp, her mouth bobbing up and down on him. Her lips sucked roughly, not letting up one bit even as he groaned that he'd come in her mouth if she didn't stop. Not that he didn't want to come in her mouth, he'd much rather spill his come inside her pussy.

Wanting to change things, he disappeared from beneath her and stood at the edge of the bed behind her. He gripped her thighs, leaning her ass up so it was level with his cock and she was balancing herself on her hands. Damon moved her wet panties aside, his cock rubbing against her slit and she shivered. He withdrew his cock and spanked her, making the skin turn bright red before healing over.

"Panties off and spread your legs. Now." He demanded and she complied. With incredible flexibility, she went down into a split on the bed, both legs perfectly straight. Damon trailed his fingers over her skin, examining his perfect fiancé. "What am I going to do with you?" He mused and danced his index finger between her lips.

"Please," Her entire body was shaking as she arched her behind, trying to get more friction against his hand that was toying with her pussy.

"Please, what? I don't know if I should give you what you want. You think I didn't see you teasing me with that college kid?" She flinched as he spanked her once more, harder this time.

"Just returning the favor," She joked and that earned her another slap on the other cheek.

"You think you're funny, don't you?" Damon's fingers were suddenly in her hair, twisting at her long locks.

"Hilarious." Her voice was laced with lust and Damon yanked harder.

"Tell me why I should give you my cock," He illustrated his point by thrusting it against her quivering desire. She moaned into the mattress, loving the feel of his hardness probing her. "I'm waiting," Damon sang.

"Because I want it." She breathed.

Damon hummed from behind her, considering her answer. "Good point, but not good enough."

Cassandra growled, gnashing her teeth together, she knew that Damon just loved to draw everything out. "I need it. I need your cock inside me. You don't know what it does to me."

"Humor me." He let go of her hair, stroking it softly before taking his cock in his hand and pressing it against her opening. The tip glistened with pre-come and it was resting just inside, not completely in, but not completely out either.

"It's perfect, like it was made for me." She purred. "Please, Damon, I need your cock inside me now."

Her begging was like music to Damon's ears and he pushed inside her ever so slowly. His cock stretched her tight walls until he completely filled her started his quick, snapping pace. Cassandra's hands clutched the sheets, fisting them as his cock throbbed in her tight core. He fucked her ruthlessly into the mattress and Cassandra moaned and writhed in pleasure. Damon scratched his nails over her legs, first her ankles, then calves and dug his fingers into her thighs, making her gasp out at his roughness. "Don't ever think that anyone can satisfy you like I can." His voice was gruff in her ear. "Think a college kid can fuck you like this?"

"No! Oh god, no!" She shook her head as she bounced against his hips. "Only you."

"That's right, princess." His tongue traced circles over her neck and his hands moved around her body to cup her breasts that were confined in her tight corset. "These are mine." A strong thrust punctuated each word. He then thrust all the way inside her without pulling out. He swiveled his hips in a slow circle, brushing her g-spot, "This is mine too."

"Yes! Yes, Damon! It's yours!" Cassandra needed him to move desperately. She prayed that he wouldn't leave her hanging like this, literally. "Take it like it's yours, my vampire."

"With pleasure." Damon withdrew before pounding back into her again. Cassandra trapped her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down so hard that she drew blood. It dribbled onto the sheets; someone would have to clean up that mess in the morning. "I'm not done with you yet. I might just punish you again when we get home."

"Please do." She moaned as her walls clenched tightly. "Fuck! I am so close!" At that, Damon sped up his thrusts to full on vampire speed. He was moving so fast that his own movements were a complete blur and so were Cassandra's as she met his thrusts. Her toes curled, the muscles in her legs shifted under her perfect skin. Damon's cock swelled inside her, his hot ropes bursting from his thick head. Cassandra allowed herself to completely let go, her orgasm washing over her entire body.

* * *

Thanks to Stefan's help, Klaus was able to dagger Rebekah after he got the answers he needed about where Alexander's sword was daggered. The sword would help to read the tattoo, therefore leading them to the cure. Rebekah had buried her lover with his sword in the church that they were meant to be married in. Klaus and Stefan had made a pact that any talk about the cure was meant to be secret, so they would be working together on finding the cure. Klaus was flipping through his sketch book in the living room when he saw Stefan leaning up against the door frame.

"I didn't think you'd do it." The hybrid noted, keeping his eyes on the book. "Rebekah is now sleeping soundly."

"Well, I want the cure for Elena." He replied. "I'd do anything for that cure."

"Good, so then you and Elena can live happily ever after and I can make my army of hybrids." Klaus smiled widely.

"One thing caught my attention," Stefan started and walked into the room, plopping down on an armchair. "Rebekah mentioned that there was something about Giuliana that would spark my interest." She said it right before Klaus entered and daggered her and it caused Stefan to question it.

"Ah, pretty Giuliana." Klaus hummed and settled on a drawing. "What do you want to know?"

"Consider my interest sparked. What's so interesting about her?"

Klaus gave Stefan a sly smirk before tossing the sketchbook on the table, already flipped open to the desired page. "Have a look for yourself."

Stefan leaned forward and took up the sketch book in his hands, his green eyes running over the woman's face. He knew those playful eyes; he knew those soft facial features. Stefan was looking at the same face of the woman who he called his best friend back in 1864, this was the same woman who had stolen Damon's heart and was now his fiancé. He was at a loss for words when he realized who he was staring at.

Cassandra.

"This isn't real." The vampire hushed, keeping his eyes on the book. He checked the date down on the bottom.

_September 13, 1114_

"It's real, Stefan." Klaus rose off the couch, twirling his glass in his hands. "That is Giuliana. And this," He flipped the sketchbook to a drawing of Cassandra and ripped it out, placing the two sketches side by side. "Is Cassandra."

Both drawings were almost identical. Each woman having some similar and different features, but they had to be a part of the same bloodline.

* * *

Fixing there sex hair and tousled clothes, Damon and Cassandra descended back down the steps in time to see an upset Elena running past them with Bonnie trialing right behind. Immediately growing concerned, Cassandra jogged after them until they were outside the house.

"Who am I? Why am I acting like this?" Elena cried pitifully as she wiped the blood around her mouth.

"Because you listened to Damon and Cassandra. And they made it sound like a good idea." Bonnie replied solemnly.

"I shouldn't be here. I should be learning how to feed with Stefan and not them." She shook her head and fisted the towel. A throat clearing from behind Bonnie made both girls turn to see Damon and Cassandra standing a couple of feet from them.

"Guessing we should hit the road." Damon grumbled.

Bonnie strode over to the couple, her eyes glaring at them. "You two were supposed to help her and you let her get completely out of control."

"She's not out of control. She was having fun." Cassandra bit back. "For the first time in a while, Elena was laughing and dancing and just having fun."

"This isn't fun. She's acting like a different person." The witch fought.

"She _is_ a different person, Bonnie! Becoming a vampire completely changes you in a way that I can't explain. But you have to be able to accept this change. You can't wish yourself to be human again. I've tried it and it doesn't work. Vampires are predators and we enjoy the hunt, the feed and the kill." She was now face to face with Bonnie, refusing to back down.

"I expected this from Damon, but not from you." Bonnie was angry now. She thought that Cassandra would have done a better job of taking care of Elena.

"Bonnie, Damon and I can feed our fill without ripping people's heads off like Stefan because we know how to make being a vampire fun. If Elena learns how to feed like Stefan, she'll be miserable and not to mention, she'll become a ripper!" All she wanted to do was help, and now she was being reprimanded for it. Cassandra looked to Elena, walking to her and taking her by the arm. "Let's get you home."

Elena yanked her arm away and backed off from Cassandra. "Stay away from me!"

"What?"

"You heard me! You're the reason I'm like this!" Elena growled. "You made me feed and now look what I am!"

"Elena -"

"No! I hate you!" Elena roughly shoved Cassandra and raised her hand to hit her, but Damon caught her wrist.

His blue eyes swam with hate and anger and Elena found herself shrinking away from him. His grip on her was so tight that she felt her bones flexing and bending under the force. "Don't ever do that again." His voice was low and threatening, making the young vampire tremble. Damon let her go and quickly wrapped a hand around Elena's throat.

"Damon! No!" Cassandra immediately surged forward but Damon held her back.

"You're an ungrateful little bitch!" Damon sneered as his hand tightened around her neck. "We're trying to help you! You're lucky I'm not ripping your head off right now!" He shook her roughly and Elena scratched at his in a desperate attempt to free herself.

"Let her go, Damon!" Cassandra begged. "She didn't mean it!" She watched Elena squirm in Damon's hold. The blue eyed vampire continued to stare Elena down, a low growl rumbling in his chest. He snapped her fangs at her and she winced before unhanding her with a sharp push. Damon reached behind him, taking Cassandra's hand and pushing past Elena who was holding her bruised neck.

* * *

"The resemblance is amazing, is it not?" Klaus now joined Stefan to look at the sketches. "Except for the eye color and some little features, they could be twins."

Stefan held both pictures in his hands, his eyes skimming over the soft lines and smudges. "How can this be? Are they doppelgangers?"

"As far as I know, there is only the Petrova doppelganger. However this evidence is rather stirring." He mused.

"Let me guess, you killed her too?" Stefan sneered. "You're infamous for slaughtering family members."

"I don't know what happened to Giuliana after I killed the entire brotherhood of the Five." Klaus shook his head. "Perhaps she fled and started her own family. I haven't seen her since we left Italy."

"So, what you're telling me is that Cassandra is related to Giuliana." Stefan put the pieces together.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. When I first saw Cassandra in 1866, I thought she was Giuliana." He said.

"And this means that Cassandra was related to a member of the Five." The vampire noted and Klaus nodded. "Does she know?"

"She might and maybe she's hiding it from everyone." Klaus mused.

"No, Cassandra doesn't hide things." Stefan denied but then his face dropped, she and Damon hid the fact that Elena wasn't keeping any blood down.

"Ah, I see that perhaps she's quite good at hiding things." The hybrid chuckled.

"But why would she hide something like this?"

"Well, I would imagine that the happy couple would want the cure for themselves." It was a suggestion, but it was quickly rotting Stefan's mind. Klaus could see that Stefan was having an inner battle with himself and he knew that he accomplished his mission. He needed to create doubt in order for Stefan to completely go along with his plan. "That's why I want this talk about the cure strictly between you and me. You want the cure for Elena. I want the cure for Elena and we can both make sure that we can get that for each other." Stefan gave him a curt nod, taking one last look at the sketches and sulked back home, making sure to keep Klaus's promise.

* * *

Damon was silent the entire way home, then again, so was everyone else in the car. Elena sat in the backseat, huddled up against the door. He dropped off Elena not as much as a goodnight before speeding home. He was now pacing back and forth in the living room. He couldn't believe that Elena had the audacity to raise his hands to Cassandra. He might have been just as bad by raising his hands back at the new vampire, but Elena needed to learn some respect.

Upstairs in the bedroom, Cassandra sat cross-legged on their king size bed, staring into the crackling fire from the fire place. She wasn't cold at all, but she loved the feel of the warm fire on her skin. She couldn't help but feel like she let Elena down tonight. She was supposed to be watching her and she let her own needs tempt her.

"You alright?" She felt Damon's hands on her shoulders, gently kneading her tense muscles.

"Mmhmm," She nodded as his lips caressed the column of her neck.

"I know you're not. So, talk to me." He pressed his thumbs against her shoulder blades.

Cassandra took a deep breath, exhaling a long sigh. "I just feel like I lost tonight."

"You didn't. You won." Damon cradled her into his lap, keeping his strong arms around her.

"But I did, Damon. Elena blamed me for making her a vampire and she's right." She sighed.

"If you didn't help her than she'd be dead." He fought. "You feel guilty for making her feed so you could come back to me." Cassandra nodded and leaned against him. "Well, let me tell you something," Damon turned her so he could look right into her eyes. "If that was me, I would have done the same thing to come back to you. No questions asked." She took in his heartfelt words and smiled.

"I wanted to do the right thing and help her because I felt guilty." She shrugged.

"You were doing the right thing by teaching Elena tonight and maybe if she'd open up her eyes, she'd see that. Right now, she's having a tough time with it." He played with her hair, twisting the locks around his fingers. "Don't you remember hating Elijah at one point in your life for making you feed?"

"One point?" Cassandra chuckled. "I remembered hating him for a while."

"That's what I mean. You hated Elijah, I hated Stefan, but we all move past that." He took her hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "Just give her some time."

Cassandra squeezed his hands back, a smile gracing her lips. "Thank you." She crawled forward and kissed him gently. Damon smiled back at her, pulling her back in his lap as they just sat and watched the fire burn.

* * *

_Modern Day Italy_

"Quit shining that thing everywhere! You wanna get caught?"

"Shut that big mouth of yours!"

Two gravediggers bickered in hushed whispers as they walked through the old cemetery. Ruins were scattered among the tombstones, evidence that no one had trekked through there. Coming across a faded mausoleum, the men used their shovels to bash the door in. The inside of the mausoleum was even more eerie than the cemetery itself. In the middle rested a coffin, who knew what valuables were hidden inside. They hurriedly removed the stone lid and propped it up against the wall before shining their flashlights inside. To their dismay, it was completely empty. Perhaps some gravediggers had already plundered here.

"There's nothing here! What a waste!" The smaller one said and kicked the side of the coffin.

"So, put the lid back on and let's move to the next one. We have to hurry before the sun comes up." The other gathered his flashlight and shovel, stepping out of the mausoleum. His friend picked up the lid, grumbling about finding nothing of value when a glimmer bounced off his flashlight. Forgetting the lid entirely, he shook his flashlight once more and it directed him to a sword that was sticking out of the wall. Moving closer, he could see that the sword was not only through the wall, but through a skeleton as well. The bones looked as if they'd turn to dust if they were touched and the fingers were curled around the hilt of the sword. The gravedigger placed his flashlight down and gripped the hilt, yanking it roughly from the skeleton's chest and examined it closer. It was nothing more than an old, rusted sword that had been weathered and would now serve no purpose. Near the hilt was a design that looked like a crest. The grave digger placed the sword down beside the skeleton and took up his flashlight, leaving to join his friend.

Once the man was out of sight, the crest like design on the sword glowed dimly. A strong wind blew through the trees and entered the mausoleum, swirling around the body. Soft whispers could be heard on the winds, almost sounding like a witches chant from centuries passed. Ever so slowly, the bones started to thicken and tiny skin cells materialized, sticking to the new bone. Organs started to grow inside the cavern of the skeleton's body, a heart, lungs, a stomach and all of the ones in between. The chants got louder as the entire body was being covered by layers of lean muscle and olive colored skin. Locks of grey hair were now rejuvenating to a beautiful chocolate brown with undertones of blonde. Teeth and tongue formed inside the mouth, along with a set of pouty lips. The shreds of the old dress that barely covered the body were now sewing themselves together until the dress was complete once again. The winds went up her nose and the chest then started to rise and fall, breathing on its own. Lastly, dark eye lashes fluttered as her eyes opened, showing a stunning green color.

The girl flexed her fingers slowly as if to test each one. Her entire body felt brand new even though she was weak from a long sleep. Her fingers ran through her soft hair and over his skin, very thankful to be back in one piece. Green eyes flicked around the mausoleum until it rested on the one thing that kept her asleep for all those years. Her hands gripped the hilt of the sword, lifting it and the crest on it glowed once again. She slid her hand among the blade, a reminder of the order set out to destroy all vampires. She was awakened for revenge and she'd make sure she got it.

Something wicked this way comes.

* * *

**It's a twist, not sure about it. So, please review and give me some confidence :)**


	6. The Killer

**Two chapters in one week? Hot damn, I'm on a roll ;) For those of you who have seen tonight's episode, I am at a loss for words and I don't know how the hell I am going to warp that around. If anyone has any sort of idea, let me know in the reviews please. This Delena romance is getting harder and harder to write over, but I'm going to keep writing. Thanks so much to everyone for the wonderful reviews :)**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

"So, we each take a different entrance; then hit them at the same time." Damon proclaimed.

The gang was gathered at the Lockwood mansion and was discussing what to do with Connor. He sent a text to Tyler, Stefan, Damon, and Cassandra saying that he was holding hostages at the Grill and that they'd all die at sundown.

Stefan walked into the room and Elena ran right for him, enveloping him in her arms. "Stefan."

"Where the hell have you been?" Cassandra asked angrily. "We've been calling you all morning!"

"Coming up with a plan." Stefan replied.

"Yeah, we have a plan. The plan is I'm gonna rip Connor's heart out and I'm going to feed it to him." Damon growled.

"That's not a plan. We need to be careful. Connor has Jeremy and who knows how many other hostages." Stefan stroked Elena's hair.

"Hence, the open heart surgery." Cassandra crossed her arms across her chest and jutted out her hip. "Connor is strong, but he can't take all of us. Super hunter or not."

"Damon and Cassandra are right." Elena chimed in.

"I called in the hybrids to help too." Tyler added just as Caroline jogged into the room.

"My mom put squad cars blocking the streets. They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go." The blonde smiled.

"Good. Great. No cops. No witnesses. No reason to wait around." Damon said.

"Alright, hold on!" Stefan looked around. "You're not all going."

"He shot me like nine times. If we're killing him, I want in." Tyler spoke.

"He's got Jeremy. I'm going." Elena nodded.

"Listen, nobody is going anywhere until I figure out what we're walking into." Stefan boasted.

"You?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows.

"Is that where you've been all morning? Out buying bossy pants?" Damon snickered.

"This guy is known for setting traps, right? We'd be pretty dumb to walk into one, especially if he has werewolf venom." His brother reasoned.

"Does he?" Elena asked.

"He's had it before." Stefan nodded and everyone in the room seemed to be at war with themselves. They were curious as to why Stefan wasn't all gung ho about killing Connor. They all wanted his blood and were prepared to go in and get it.

"Fine. Fine, if you want to take some time to do recon, you get one hour. But we're gonna need some extra help. So, where the hell's the Wicked Witch of the West?" Damon grumbled.

"She can't do magic." Caroline frowned.

"Really? Well, call her; tell her Jeremy's life is in danger; maybe that will bring her out of retirement." Damon took Cassandra's hand and the both bumped passed Stefan's shoulder as they left the mansion.

* * *

Many of the surfaces in Alaric's loft were covered in a thin layer of dust as Damon and Cassandra looked through the cabinets. Cassandra was combing through some drawers and pulled out the remaining vervain darts and a mini crossbow, setting them on the table. Elena was peeking out of the shades at Stefan who was hanging up the phone and walking to the entrance of the apartment complex. She strained her vampire hearing but she couldn't hear who he was talking to and she moved away from the window, twiddling her thumbs.

"Who is he talking to?" Elena mused.

"Bonnie, hopefully." Damon pulled out large map and set it down on the table, flattening it out.

"Although I don't like that he's being so secretive." Cassandra added and skimmed her eyes over the map.

"What is that?" The baby vampire asked.

"This is our way in." Damon smirked. "Courtesy of Alaric Saltzman's interest in Mystic Falls Underground Railroad."

"The tunnels. Like the ones in the Lockwood cellar." Elena nodded and Damon snapped a photo of the map, saving it to his phone. Her phone rang in her pocket and she answered it, making sure it was on speaker phone. "What did you find out?"

"_I can only make out the voices." _Stefan replied.

"How many hostages?" Cassandra asked.

"_Three. But, Elena, it's Matt and April Young."_

"What?!" Elena hollered.

"Those two idiots, they're like danger magnets." Damon rolled his eyes.

"We have to get them out of there!" The baby vampire fought.

"_I just need a little more time."_

"Well, the clock's ticking, brother."

"_You know, I could do without the colored commentary."_ Stefan snapped before hanging up the phone.

Cassandra made a sound of distaste, "What's stuck up his ass?"

"Don't know, but we'll beat it out of him later." Damon smirked.

"I'm going in these tunnels." Elena side stepped the pair to leave, but Damon caught her wrist.

"No, you're not. This guy doesn't know that you're a vampire, let's keep it that way." He shook his head.

"Well, maybe that's it. I can offer to trade myself in exchange for the hostages." Elena reasoned and shook Damon off her. She walked to the front door, but was immediately stopped as Cassandra flashed before her.

"No. Best case scenario is now you're a hostage. Worst case scenario: he figures you out, kills you on the spot." He growled from behind her.

"I agree with Damon. You're not going in there!" Cassandra crossed her arms across her chest.

"You both need to stop treating me like I can't handle myself. Alaric trained me and I've been practicing with Stefan." Elena seethed.

"So what? Now you're gonna take on a professional killer?" Damon almost found this laughable.

Elena quickly blurred past Cassandra, rushing towards the front door when she heard the release of the cross go off. She found herself pinned to the wall by her sleeve. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to make a point, Elena. You can't go against Connor alone." Cassandra fought. The newborn vampire yanked the arrow from the wall and jumped at the hybrid, armed with the arrow, but Cassandra was much faster. In a whirlwind, Elena found herself in a chokehold with the hand clutching the arrow anchored behind her back. "You're quick, but your technique sucks."

"Get off me!" Elena wrestled in her grip.

"Drop the arrow." Cassandra commanded and Elena's fingers loosened one by one until the arrow fell to the floor. Damon picked it up off the floor, reloading it in the crossbow and Cassandra let Elena go.

"Very nice." Damon wiggled his eyebrows at Cassandra.

"You think this is funny?" The vampire whirled around.

"No, Elena. We find it pathetic that you just took on a hybrid and lost miserably." He quipped.

"And if you were to go up against Connor, he'd just blow your head off." Cassandra noted.

"Look, if this whole attitude change is because you're mad at me after what I said last night…" Elena trailed off but Cassandra held a hand up.

"What's done is done, Elena." She stifled. "Don't worry, message received. Loud and clear." She stalked off the tossed the crossbow on the bed before looking back the map.

* * *

Cassandra was ready to throw Elena out the window if she looked out of it one more time, but she could sympathize that she was upset about Jeremy being captured along with Matt and April. Elena was nearly pacing a hole a in the floor and chewing her nails down to nubs at the same time. The two hadn't exchanged words since their last confrontation and they wanted to keep it that way.

Stefan pushed open the door, sliding his cell phone into his pocket. "Did you find the tunnel map?"

"Got it." Damon nodded. "It was in his weapons drawer with seven stakes, some weird MacGyver crossbow, and the last remaining vervain in Mystic Falls, so how about we get this party started."

"Not yet. Klaus is sending one of his men. He'll take the front; you, Cassandra and I can take the tunnels." He said.

"Since when did we team up with Klaus and the Lollipop Guild?" Damon questioned.

"The last thing we need is getting Klaus involved. Besides, Tyler said he'd lend us some hybrids." Cassandra said.

"Well, I already told you, Connor has werewolf venom. We need someone to draw his fire; the hybrids are immune to it so they're our best bets."

"So, send me in there." The female hybrid offered. "It can't effect me."

"It doesn't matter who we send in." Damon interjected and eyed his brother. "What really matters is, why is Klaus involved, Stefan?"

"Stop being paranoid, Damon." Stefan deflected.

"You're giving us a lot of reasons to be paranoid." Cassandra glared. "Maybe if you'd actually tell us the truth."

"Why is Klaus involved?" Damon asked again. "Did he compel you?"

"I am telling you the truth. This is the best way to get everyone out." The argument between both brothers was getting out of hand quickly.

"Okay, what is with you two? We're wasting time." Elena looked between them.

"You know what, she's right. Screw your plan. We'll kill Connor ourselves." Both Damon and Cassandra turned to head for the door when Stefan jumped on his brother's back, stabbing him with one of Alaric's vervain darts in the neck.

"Stefan!" Elena reprimanded, but he didn't relinquish his hold.

"Damon!" Cassandra called but the vampire was fading fast. Stefan lowered his brother onto the couch once he was completely knocked out. "What is wrong with you?" She snarled, her fangs protruding from behind her lips.

"You and Damon had the right idea with the tunnels." Stefan looked through his brother's pocket and opened up the photo of the tunnel map, memorizing it. "But, I'm not gonna go in there if I can't count on him to do it my way." Stefan fought.

"So, you vervain him?" Cassandra knelt down to Damon's side and he groaned quietly.

"It's the only way." The vampire sighed and Cassandra crouched down to Damon's side. "Cassandra, you're either in this with me or you're not."

Her eyes met his to see that he was aiming the crossbow at her. She couldn't even fathom the thought that he was going against his own brother. The even worse part was that Klaus was in on this little mission. She glared down the barrel and stood, fixing the lapel on her leather jacket. "Fine, but if you step out of line, I will rip you limb from limb."

Stefan lowered the crossbow, keeping it at his side and gathered the rest of the weapons. "Elena, you stay here."

"No! I'm coming with you!" She fussed.

"Oh, God! We're not having this discussion again, are we?" Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You both need my help." The newborn was absolutely adamant with helping.

"No, you are staying put." She growled. "Don't make me compel you."

"You wouldn't!" Elena challenged and Cassandra tilted her head to the right slightly. She slowly sauntered up to Elena, each step seeming all the more threatening.

"Are you challenging me?" She leered and Elena was soon shaking in her converse.

Stefan placed a heavy hand on the hybrids shoulder, easing her aside. "Listen to me, Elena. This is the most important thing I've asked you to do. I just need to you trust me, please." He begged. Elena could see the sincerity in his eyes and she painfully nodded, not wanting to just sit and wait, but she trusted Stefan.

* * *

Armed with shovels, Stefan and Cassandra trekked through the woods and it took every fiber in Cassandra's being not to snap his neck and go after Connor on her own. They were on their way to the Lockwood Cellar since the map pointed that spot as a start off point to the other tunnels that would lead them to the Grill.

"You've been quiet." Stefan picked up his pace.

"Don't talk to me." Cassandra spat and sped up with him. "If you want a shovel up your ass, keep talking."

"I had to put Damon down."

She snorted and stopped at their destination. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with." Stefan pulled out his cell phone and dialed the Grill's number. They waited in silence as the phone rang a couple times before the receiver clicked on.

"_We're closed."_ Connor's dark voice emitted over the speaker.

"I want you to free the hostages." Stefan tossed his shovel to the ground.

"_I'll free all of them as soon as you get me what I want. You and everyone like you dead."_

"How pathetic." Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"What? So your hunter's mark can grow? Yeah, I know all about that. What it means, what you are." Cassandra listened closely, how did Stefan know all this information? "Listen, if you free the hostages then you and I can have a little chat. I'll even tell you about the brotherhood of the Five."

They could hear Connor scoff, _"That's a weak move. You must be desperate."_

"Think about it, Connor. Klaus saved your life. He needs you alive. Aren't you the least bit curious why?" Stefan prodded and their conversation was quickly ended by Connor slamming the phone down.

Cassandra threw down her shovel, "I'm not moving one more step until you tell me what is going on here! Why is Klaus in on this and why does he need Connor alive?"

"I didn't want to say anything to get everyone up in arms." Stefan said soothingly as if to try and calm her down. "Connor's tattoo leads to a weapon that can destroy all vampires. We're all in jeopardy if Connor gets to the weapon before we do." The hybrid watched Stefan carefully for any let on to the fact that he was lying. No fast eye movements, no nervous hand twitch, nothing. She was hesitant to believe him. "And if Connor dies than the tattoo disappears and the weapon is lost forever. So, we need to get the weapon before he does."

She pursed her lips and ran a hand through her hair, "If you're lying to me, I swear to God, I'll kill you."

"I wouldn't lie about this. I want to keep Elena safe." Stefan's words were tender much like the way he spoke to Elena before.

Cassandra bent down and picked up her shovel, slinging it over her shoulder. "Let's do this."

* * *

_Italy_

Klaus stood above ground while his hybrid minions dug around for Alexander's sword. They'd been there all day churning up the earth and searching for that infamous sword. They followed Rebekah's instructions, but finding a sword was like finding a needle in a haystack. Klaus could only hope that Stefan was handling the Connor situation. He didn't have the time to come back to Mystic Falls to save all of them and he stressed to Stefan that he needed Connor alive.

"Hey boss!" One of them called from inside the hole. "We got something!"

"Bring it up here, mate." Klaus smirked and the hybrids brought up a very old casket, setting it on the ground. He kicked off the lid to see a skeleton resting peacefully inside and its hands were meant to be holding something, but it was missing.

The sword.

Klaus's eyes widened as he continued to rifle through the coffin, ripping the bones and throwing them aside. He tipped the entire thing over, spilling the contents and kicking the coffin back into the hole it was found in.

"Keep looking!" He ordered and his hybrids scampered away, following their sire's orders. Either Rebekah had lied, or something unearthed the sword. He sincerely hoped that Rebekah was wrong and that he just had to keep looking.

High up in the trees, a woman watched them work and smirked at Klaus's temper. He had a horrible one. Her green eyes flickered with little glints of amusement as the hybrid's continued to dig up the earth. She found it pathetic that they were all Klaus's prisoners, slaves to his every order and at his beckon call. Growing tired of watching, Giuliana jumped down from the trees with such agility and grace before stalking off into the forest.

* * *

Stefan and Cassandra came through the tunnels that lead into the storeroom of the Grill. Matt and April were hiding behind shelves, hoping that Connor would forget about them if they kept quiet.

"Follow this map, get out of here, take her to Caroline so she can…" Stefan meant for April to be brought to Caroline's to be compelled to forget this mess.

"Okay," Matt nodded and took Damon's phone.

"You better be buying my fiancé a new phone when this is all over." Cassandra sang. "You know, to smooth him over for vervaining him and all."

"That guy is armed." The teen spoke. "If you two go out there, he's gonna kill Jeremy."

"No one is killing anyone, Matt." She consoled and ushered both teens to the opening in the wall that she and Stefan came out of. Once they were safely inside, Stefan and Cassandra crouched down and made their way into the main dining room. They crawled stealthily and quietly, keeping their eyes and ears open for Connor. The hunter must have heard something and caught Stefan red-handed. He yanked Jeremy close to him and fired a couple of times at the both of them. They flashed around the room, looking for a place to hide and Cassandra found an overturned table while Stefan hid behind the bar. They looked at one another, communicating that they weren't hurt and heard Connor cocking his gun again.

"I'll kill the boy if you don't show yourselves now!" He threatened and pulled Jeremy into a chokehold, aiming the gun at his head.

"Connor!" Cassandra called. "You don't have to do this! Put down the gun and let's talk about this!"

"I don't make deals with vampires!" Connor bellowed.

"How about a hybrid?" She asked and there was a beat of silence from the hunter. "I can give you what you're looking for."

"Come out and face me, you coward!" The hunter taunted and the hybrid looked to Stefan who was shaking his head back and forth at her, praying that she wouldn't play Connor's game, but stepped into view with her hands in the air with a gun clutched in her fist. She swiped it from Ric's apartment in a last stitch effort. "Give me the gun!" He order and Cassandra lowered herself to place the gun on the floor. She used her foot to slide it over to Connor who picked it up while keeping his eyes on her and his gun pointed at Jeremy. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now!"

"Because you need all the werewolf venom you can get and I'm offering." She boasted. "Just let them go. They're innocent in all of this."

Connor gave Cassandra a once over and craned his head, clearly looking for Stefan. "Where's your vampire friend?"

"He's gone. I compelled him to leave." She replied quickly and hoped that Stefan would keep himself hidden until any of them got a clear shot.

"You can compel vampires?" Connor was suddenly very intrigued.

"I was the first hybrid that was created from the ritual." She spoke firmly. "Therefore I'm stronger than most hybrids."

The hunter seemed to think it over. If she was a strong hybrid then her werewolf venom would be stronger, therefore killing more vampires for his mission. "Turn around." He commanded gruffly and Cassandra did so while keeping her hands above her head. She knew that in his position she was extremely vulnerable to Connor's attacks, but she had to follow his rules if she wanted to keep Jeremy safe.

Cassandra's eyes found Stefan's terrified ones as he peaked out from behind the bar. She gave him a nervous glance and mouthed, "Get out of here!"

A bullet sharply ripped through Cassandra's right shoulder blade, causing her to groan and her hands to fall from being in the air. Another pull of the trigger made her cry out again as a second bullet entered her body.

"I said hands up!" Connor bellowed and Cassandra held her shaking hands back up in the air again. She clenched her jaw at the searing pain that ebbed through her back and she could feel the wooden splinters traveling through her bloodstream. Both bullets had ripped through her body completely, in one entry point and out an exit point.

In a turn of events, Elena ran into the Grill and Cassandra looked over her shoulder with wide eyes that the baby vampire was helping to take a stand. "Don't hurt them!" She begged.

Connor aimed his gun back at Jeremy, "You come any closer, he's dead!"

"Please! They're the only family I have!" Elena's pleading was desperate, but she was playing the part of helpless human very well.

"Elena! Get out of h-" Cassandra's speech was unheard as Connor shot her behind the knee. She dropped to the floor onto her good knee, the other was shattered and its pieces lay strewn all over the Grill. Connor cocked his gun once more for the final shot, aiming his gun at the back of Cassandra's head. His finger twitched, ready to pull the trigger when Elena jumped on him. The gun went off, firing into Jeremy's chest and he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Elena fought against Connor while Stefan flashed to Jeremy and Cassandra, pulling them to safety just before one of Connor's bombs went off.

"Jeremy?!" Elena called worriedly and in that moment of weakness, Connor was able to get the vampire off of him. He pinned her down and grabbed her hair, a stake aimed at her heart. The two grappled when Stefan tackled Connor. Elena took up the stake that Connor dropped and armed herself, ready to fight but Stefan and Connor were gone.

"God dammit," Cassandra groaned from the corner and flicked the bullet that was in her kneecap. "If we did this Damon's way, I'd be in one piece!" She reached for the bullets in her back but couldn't reach them. Elena rushed over to Jeremy who was bleeding heavily and fed him her blood, the entire time she and Cassandra just glowered at one another, not exchanging any words. Cassandra rolled her eyes and stood with the help of leaning on the chair, the fallen table and the top of the bar. "If you find my kneecap on the floor, please get it back to me." She flashed to the tunnels, knowing that Stefan had taken Connor to get him to safety, but she wanted a few fighting words with him.

* * *

_Italy_

Sunset was quickly approaching and Klaus was at his wits end. Every speck of dirt was moved, every rock was overturned and there was still no sign of Alexander's sword. His hybrids were running ragged as well, being privy to their masters kicking and screaming. Klaus's cell phone rang in his pocket and he answered it.

"If you're calling about these damn hostages again," He began but a light female laughter halted his ranting.

"_Hostages? You're gone only a day and already Mystic Falls has been turned upside down."_

"Who the bloody hell is this?" Klaus growled.

"_Aww, Nik. I'm hurt. You don't even remember me." _ The voice was cocky and condescending, chewing on Klaus's last nerve. _"Well, let me fill you in. You killed my brother and now I'm going to kill you."_ She threatened. _"Ring any bells?"_ Klaus had to run over in his head who this could possibly be, he had killed so many people that it was difficult for one instance to stand out to him. As soon as the realization dawned on him, he was damn near speechless.

"Giuliana." The hybrid hushed.

"_I knew you'd remember me."_ She giggled. _"How's the search for my brother's sword coming along?"_ Klaus whirled around on his feet, scanning as far as the eye can see for any sign of the anomaly. _"You know, I would help you, but I just can't remember where I put it."_ Giuliana mused when a slicing noise cut through the air and the sword was embedded into one of Klaus's hybrids. _"Ah, yes. Now I remember."_

"You think this is some kind of game?" He provoked.

"_Well, if this is a game, I'm giving you a head start."_ She spoke.

Klaus walked over to the sword, grabbing it by the hilt and removing it from one of his fallen hybrids. "You're just giving this to me?" He asked with a little chuckle.

"_I'm feeling a little generous. Plus, it grew annoying watching you chase your tail a couple hours ago." _ She grinned. _"Better hold onto it tight, Klaus. I'll be taking it back soon."_

The Original hybrid smirked, twirling the weapon around. "Give it your best shot, sweetheart."

"_Oh, I intend to."_ She purred. _"I'll see you soon, Klaus."_ The phone clicked off in Klaus's ear and he was met with a dial tone. He looked down at the sword that would be the answer to all of his prayers. He sincerely wished Giuliana would try to take this back from him just so he could have the satisfaction of killing her with his bare hands.

* * *

Connor followed the twists and turns of the tunnels, not exactly sure which way was out, but Stefan told him to make a run for it. The vampire had fended off his older brother and now Connor had Cassandra to worry about if she joined the chase as well. He was only equipped with one stake at his belt and he'd use it in whatever way he saw fit. The hunter was constantly looking over his shoulder, paranoid that someone was following him, but he continued to press on through the caves. He came to a large alcove that led into two different tunnels and Connor found himself at a loss. Which tunnel would lead him to safety? All of them were dark inside, hiding their own paths and Connor's eyes switched between each one.

"Which one will it be, Connor?" Cassandra's voice echoed off the cavern walls and the hunter kept his feet moving, looking all around for where the voice was coming from. "Will it be door number one? Or door number two?" She was taunting him now; she had him where she wanted him, scared and alone. A lively cackle throughout the tunnels pierced Connor's eardrum and he knew that he had to choose one tunnel. Deciding on the tunnel on the right, he jogged toward it but was stopped seeing Damon emerge from the shadows. He then ran to the leftmost tunnel to find Cassandra standing right in the middle of the entrance.

"Looks like you lose." Damon snickered and bared his fangs. Connor turned on his heel and headed for the tunnel he just came from but the vampire was on his back in a matter of seconds. The two wrestled on the floor and Cassandra stepped on Connor's wrist that held the stake, making him release it. Damon pinned him down, keeping his wrists on the ground and Cassandra circled him.

"What are we gonna do with you?" She mused. "We can't kill you."

"But that doesn't mean we can't cause pain." Damon hissed, ready to bite when Stefan kicked him off Connor. The brothers battled with one another and Connor took the chance to twist Cassandra's wrist back, snapping it and taking his stake back. The hybrid growled and ran after him, but Stefan pulled her by her hair and slammed her against the ground.

"You can't kill him!" Stefan begged desperately.

"The hell I can't!" Cassandra snarled and threw Stefan into the wall. "Think you can handle your brother?" She asked Damon who was getting his bearings.

"Go," He nodded and Cassandra flew through the caves. Damon took his younger brother by his shirt and shoved him against the cave walls.

"How'd you get out?" Stefan asked.

"I had to punch through a boiler room basement into a septic tank to get into this stupid tunnel. But enough about me," Damon growled. "Why are you protecting him? Tell me!" Not hearing an adequate answer, Damon moved his hand to Stefan's chest, pressing against the skin and the younger brother tried to fight back, however Damon was fueled by his anger and rage. He broke through the skin, meeting warm blood and a wildly beating heart. "Tell me!"

"Klaus will kill anyone who knows." Stefan groaned painfully.

"Then it has to be good." Damon curled his hand around his brother's heart. "Spill it." Stefan didn't answer him, mainly because he was overcome with excruciating pain. "Spill it!" Damon demanded, tearing at Stefan's heart even more.

"Connor's tattoo is the key to a cure!" Stefan rasped out.

"A cure for what?" He asked.

"For her. For Elena."

Damon's blue eyes were wide, a trace of longing could be found in them. "Klaus told you there's a cure for vampirism?"

"Don't sound so surprised! Cassandra knew about it." Stefan was beginning to get lightheaded from the loss of blood.

"What?" Damon was in disbelief, not exactly knowing who to believe.

"One of her ancestors dates back to when the Five was alive back in 1114. Her ancestor was the sister of a hunter." He explained.

"That doesn't mean that she knew!" Damon slammed his brother harder into the wall, blinded by rage.

"Klaus made it seem like she knew." The older Salvatore realized that Stefan had been tricked by Klaus into keeping this all a huge secret. "If Connor dies then we'll lose it forever. I know it's crazy, Damon. But its hope, do you understand me? It's her only hope." Damon seemed to think this over; he missed being human so much and hated his brother for making him turn all those years ago. But now there was hope for him, hell there was hope for Cassandra too if she wanted to have the cure as well. He retracted his hand from Stefan's chest and let it all sink in. A chance to be human was out there and he had to stop Cassandra from killing Connor if he wanted it for either of them.

* * *

Elena waited patiently in the darkness until she heard Connor's human heartbeat rapidly approaching. Once he was in eye shot she rushed at him and buried her fangs in his neck. The hunter fought her grip but Elena continued to drink despite his struggling. She let him go and her dark eyes never left his bleeding form.

"Stay away from my brother!" She hissed and Connor fell to his knees.

"Look at you. So worried about your brother. You're the biggest monster he'll ever meet." He proclaimed and took the stake from his belt and thrust it into Elena's chest. The baby vampire immediately fell to the ground, seemingly dead and Cassandra lunged at Connor just in time and sunk her fangs into the clean side of Connor's neck. This was partly to get her strength back up and to torture Connor a little bit. Her teeth were clutching his neck so tightly that if she were to yank back, his entire windpipe would come clean out. Wanting to cause more pain, she ripped her fangs out of his skin, taking a large chunk of his neck with her and spit it out on the ground. She threw a quick punch to his face, shattering the bones under the skin.

"That's for hurting my friends!" Her mouth was bloody and horrifying.

Connor was weak and bleary eyed. Blood was leaving his body at an alarming rate and half of his neck was on the floor. "You're worse than Klaus! You're the worst monster of them all."

Cassandra held Connor by his shirt, she would have held him by his neck but she didn't want to get blood on her hands. "If that's the case, then I'll see you in hell." She growled and snapped his neck roughly. More muscles and skin in his neck tore, his spinal cord completely severed and he crumpled to the ground. Smirking down at the dead hunter, Cassandra gave him one swift kick to the ribs, snapping them like twigs. Coming down from her high, she realized Elena was lying motionlessly on the ground. She ran to the fallen vampire and yanked the stake out.

"Elena! Elena, come on! You need to get up!" She smacked her cheeks and the vampire groaned. "That's it. C'mon, it's over now."

Elena hissed through her teeth, her hand going right to her wound. "He...he missed." She breathed and Cassandra let out a sigh of relief. Both Damon and Stefan ran into the cavern the girls were in and were struck with horror as they saw Connor's dead body on the floor. Cassandra helped Elena up off the ground and rushed off to tend to Jeremy.

"He's gone." Cassandra noted and both brothers's looked down at Connor's body.

"Do you know what you've done?" Stefan bellowed.

Cassandra wiped the blood off her lips with the back of her hand. "So, we lost the map to the weapon of mass destruction for all vampires. Big deal!"

"Cass," Damon tried to put his two sense in but Stefan held him back.

"That weapon was the cure for Elena." The younger vampire seethed. "And now it's gone!"

"There is no such thing as a cure for vampirism, Stefan! You've just had your head up Klaus's ass for far too long!" She fought with him.

"Connor's work was to kill as many vampires as he could and with each kill, the tattoo would grow and it would form a map that would lead us to a cure." Each word that passed from Stefan's lips seemed to sober Cassandra slightly.

"Wha-…oh, now I know what Klaus was behind this. He wanted the cure for Elena, so he could mass produce his hybrids and you just wanted it for Elena." She was fuming now. "Did you think that maybe someone else would have wanted the cure, Stefan? Maybe me or your brother?" The vampire held her dark stare. "No! Of course you didn't, you selfish son of a bitch!" Cassandra put her fist into the wall, crumbling the stone and breaking her hand all in one shot and Stefan decided to leave her to her wallowing. She screamed and raged, punching the cavern walls until her anger was spent and she looked back at Damon who was just as hurt as she was. She knew he wanted the cure and would take it if he had the chance and so would she. Her eyes began to water as her rage dissipated into utter despair. She'd lost the cure forever and she was to blame for it.

* * *

Cassandra squirmed in discomfort as Damon yanked out the last and final bullet from her shoulder blade. The skin had healed over the wound since they weren't extracted soon enough and they skin had to be broken once more in order for the bullets to be take out. Her tight grip on the rim of the bathtub loosened significantly as she relaxed back into the warm water that had a slight tinge of pink to it. Damon leaned her up again to clean her shoulders, soaking a washcloth in water and bathing the wounds.

"I'm sorry." She hushed sadly and stopped his motions. "If I knew that killing Connor would mean that the cure would be lost for good, I never would have done it."

"I know you wouldn't have." Damon murmured and kissed the back of her neck. "Don't worry about that now. You need to rest."

"But, I lost it, Damon. I lost the one thing that you wanted more than anything in this whole world." She was crying now, upset that her rage had blinded her.

Damon put down the washcloth and moved himself so he was kneeling in front of her. "The only thing I want in this whole world is to have you with me." He spoke. "A cure would be nice, but if I couldn't have it with you, I wouldn't want it."

"It would be nice." Cassandra hummed as Damon cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing over the skin. She had always wanted to start her own family, but that chance had sadly passed her by.

"I'm fine with you either way, Cassandra. Stefan needed the cure for Elena because he thinks she isn't cut out to be one." Damon was her family now and she was very content with that.

"He loves her." She smiled. "And she'll be mad at him for lying to her but at the end of the day, they love each other."

"I guess," Damon sighed and gave her a quick kiss. "Wash up and let's get to bed."

"You're not gonna join me?" Cassandra bit her bottom lip and played with the frothy bubbles.

"I don't want to aggravate your wounds, but don't tempt me." The vampire smirked before leaving Cassandra to her bath in peace.

* * *

The water had turned cold fairly quickly, but Cassandra didn't want to move from her spot. She was much too comfortable as her neck was leaned against the rim of the tub and all of her hair was piled on top of her head. Her skin was pruney, but she was enjoying relaxing and having some moments of silence to herself. She was upset the cure was gone, but she had Damon to fall back on and that's all that mattered. Her ears picked up the sound of the door opening and she thought that Damon had changed his mind wanted to join her. She smirked and opened her eyes, but jumped back seeing Stefan was watching her.

"Jeez, Stefan!" She tensed and tried to cover up her body. "Get out of here!"

Stefan's dark green eyes held her brown ones and he snickered to himself. "You ruined everything, you know that?" His words struck her to the core and she pressed herself further into the dip of the tub, shying away from him. "All I wanted was the cure and you took it away from me."

"Leave, Stefan." She gritted, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You took something important away from me, so why don't I take something important from Damon. You know, to even the score." Everything about him was unnatural and it scared Cassandra. It was like Ripper Stefan had come back and was controlling Saint Stefan. In a matter of seconds, he rose and grabbed Cassandra's hair, much like he did in the caves and plunged her head under the water. She screamed and thrashed, trying to claw Stefan's hand away but she was loosing oxygen quickly. Water filled her lungs and all she could make out was Stefan's watery glare as she drowned.

Flailing and gasping, Cassandra leapt up out of the tub, stumbling to the floor as she convulsed and shook. She dry heaved as her body made an effort to the get the water out of her lungs. She was soaked from head to toe as her eyes darted around the bathroom but Ripper Stefan wasn't there. Had she fallen asleep and dreamt it?

Damon burst in the door and ran for Cassandra, hearing her screams from his bedroom. "What happened? Are you alright?" He asked hurriedly as he wrapped her body in a plush towel and hugged her close to him. Stefan followed close behind him and Cassandra became even more hostile.

"You!" She pointed a finger at him. "You think this is a sick joke?"

"What are you talking about?" Damon raised an eyebrow while Stefan stood there as confused as ever.

"He-he tried to drown me!" She accused and both brothers's exchanged glances.

"Cassandra, Stefan was outside with me the entire time." He tried to calm her down but she was anguished.

"But…I saw him! He was there!" She grew even more hostile as Stefan took a step closer to her. "Get away from me!" Her voice was hoarse from the massive intake of water and she trembled against Damon.

"Stefan, get out of here now." Damon requested and his brother left without another word. He tried getting Cassandra to tell him what happened, but she insisted that Stefan tried to drown her. She clutched to him tightly and her eyes wandered back to the tub. Flashes of Stefan holding her down under the water struck her and she closed her eyes tightly, wishing they would go away.

Damon held her close and cooed to her, hoping to calm her down but she was hysterical. Her screams sounded like she was being murdered in the worst way and it scared the hell out of him. She cried into his shoulder, clutching him tightly and he picked her up in his arms. Damon took her to their bedroom and dried her off, trying to make sense of what happened but she was so terrified to bring it up that she'd see it all happen again before her eyes. Not getting anywhere, Damon decided that it would be best to just tuck Cassandra into bed and call it a day. Hopefully, it would all be better in the morning.

* * *

**Please review everyone!**


	7. We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

**Hi all! Very happy that I could get this chapter out for you guys! Thanks everyone for the amazing reviews and love! You guys keep me writing and remind me why I'm writing. Please be patient with me since finals are this upcoming week. Plus, this sire bond on the show between Damon and Elena is driving me up a wall. I'm having a very hard time with it. Feel free to help a writer out by leaving a suggestion at the bottom :)**

**Beta: currently unbeta'd**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

_Monster._

_Killer._

_Murderer._

Cassandra jolted in her bed for the millionth time that night. She sighed, letting her body crouch over and she ran her hands through her hair, pulling and yanking at certain spots. She had been plagued by nightmares and harsh whispers in her sleep and she couldn't make them go away.

She looked beside her to see Damon dead asleep, snoring soundly. Each time she woke up with another nightmare, Damon was up right after her. He would hold her in his arms and stroke her hair until she fell asleep, but his remedy wouldn't work for long before another nightmare would creep back into her once pleasant dreams. She guessed that Damon was probably so exhausted from waking up with her every two seconds that he didn't even hear her this time. She smiled down at him and kissed his forehead, a small thank you for dealing with her and tiptoed downstairs.

She gathered a mug and tea bag from the cabinet, maybe a hot cup of tea would help her fall asleep even if it would only be for a couple of hours. She quietly filled the teapot with warm water and placed it on the stove, hoping that Damon was in a deep sleep and wouldn't hear her. Vampires didn't need sleep, but they were so accustomed to it that it had become part of their routine. She waited for the water to get hot when she felt someone enter the room.

"Sorry I woke you." She yawned and turned, ready to greet Damon but that's not who was standing in the kitchen. Cassandra stood frozen in fear as the man from her nightmares was standing right in front of her. He looked then same except for two bite marks on each side of his neck. The smaller one was where Elena had bitten him and the other side of his neck was completely chewed out. The large hole allowed Cassandra to see the bones and tendons in his neck and it looked positively gruesome. She didn't realize how hard she bit him but now the evidence was staring her in the face.

"Can't sleep?" Connor asked. "You must have a guilty conscience."

"You're not real. I must be dreaming." She shook head and rubbed her eyes, but Connor was still there.

"And how do you know that I'm not here?" The hunter taunted.

"Because I killed you. Your body is lying in an unmarked grave somewhere." She glared at him.

Connor smirked and took a few steps towards Cassandra, making her take two steps back for each advance. "You know, for someone who is a killer, you look really scared."

"You're a ghost. That's it." Her back hit the counter, her hands trying to steady her shaky legs. Connor closed in on her slowly, seeming to enjoy this little game. "Damon!" She called. She was absolutely panicked now. "You have to be a ghost and now you're haunting me."

"Can a ghost do this?" His hand shot out, curling around her neck in a choking grip. Cassandra clawed at his hand, trying to loosen his hold on her, but his hunter ability was quickly overpowering her. She tried to scream for Damon again, but her vocal chords were being crushed. In a last stitch effort, Cassandra reached for the hissing teapot on the stove and struck Connor with it. Steaming hot water splashed his skin, burning it and he jumped back. With Connor distracted, Cassandra threw open the knife drawer, selecting a long butcher knife to arm herself with. The hunter was still crouched over from the blow of the teapot to the side of his head. She wielded the knife and Connor's gaze met hers. His face was burned, the skin bubbled and he seethed at her before lunging. He caught her wrist holding the knife as she jabbed at him. They struggled, pushing and shoving one another for control of the knife. Connor twisted her wrist so the point of the knife was facing her and smiled evilly as he began to push the knife down, trying to stab her. Cassandra fought against him, but she was losing fast as the knife came closer and closer to her. She head butted Conner and with control over the knife, she stabbed him multiple times in the stomach. Blood spattered all over the room with each stab and Cassandra went in for the kill. She snapped Connor's neck, ending his haunting.

When his body crumpled to the kitchen floor, Cassandra dropped the knife when Connor's true identity came to form. The body had pale skin, most of which was stained with blood, and he had lush black hair. She was struck with terror seeing that she had snapped Damon's neck.

"Oh my god!" She crouched down to him and pressed her hands to the multiple stab wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. "Damon! No, no, no, no!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks, unable to believe that she had confused Damon for Connor. She looked down at her blood stained hands, she had done this. Unable to form words, she screamed and cried at the top of her lungs, hugging her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth.

* * *

Cassandra paced back and forth in the living room while Stefan leaned himself against the desk. Damon's body lay on the couch and he hadn't woken up yet. The hybrid pulled at her hair and bit her nails nervously. Stefan had come downstairs when he heard Cassandra's screaming and was speechless at what he saw. She apologized hundreds of times and swore that it was an accident.

"What am I supposed to tell him when he wakes up?" She asked and eyed Damon who was groaning a little on the couch.

"Sorry I thought you were Connor and snapped your neck?" The vampire shrugged and Cassandra sent him a glare.

"You're not helping." She grumbled. "I don't know what's happening to me. It's like I'm losing my mind."

"Why didn't you call anyone to help you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Because who else would I call? It's not like Elena and I are on civil terms." She hissed. "Besides, I don't want to talk to her, not after what she said to me."

The front door of the Salvatore house promptly opened and Elena rushed inside, looking between Stefan to Cassandra then to Damon and back to Cassandra again. "Hey."

"PS, I called Elena." Stefan stated.

"What happened?" Her eyes were wide and nervous as she observed how still Damon was.

"It's fine, Elena. We're adults. We can handle this ourselves." Cassandra dismissed, not really wanting to deal with the young vampire right now. "Besides, don't you have school?"

Elena was ready to reply but, Damon's body snapped up on the couch. He was gasping and holding his neck as he looked around to see Cassandra, Elena, and Stefan standing by and didn't say a word. "Ah, what the hell happened?"

"Ask your fiancé." Stefan chimed in.

Cassandra didn't say a word. What could she even say to him? She started to cry again and picked at the dried blood on her hands. All of the vampires waited with bated breath to see what she'd say, but she remained silent. She scowled at Stefan before mumbling something about taking a shower to get the blood off of her hands.

Damon watched her leave; he was just as confused as ever. "What happened?"

"Cassandra had a hallucination last night that you were Connor. So, she stabbed you multiple times and snapped your neck." The vampire reiterated and Elena's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god,"

"What? That's absurd!" Damon denied.

"She swore up and down that it was an accident. I found her last night screaming and crying with a knife next to her." Stefan recounted the events in his head, he'd never seen Cassandra so afraid and out of control.

Elena frowned and moved to the staircase, but she ran into Damon's chest. "Where do you think you're going?" He leered down at her.

"Let me talk to her, Damon." She requested.

"No, I don't think so. _I'll_ talk to her." He growled and flashed up the stairs and into the adjoining bathroom in his room before Elena could get another word in edgewise. Cassandra was at the sink, dressed in a satin robe as she vigorously scrubbed the blood off her skin. It was everywhere. It was encrusted in her cuticles and it clasped to each little crease. She was nearly rubbing so hard that she skin was starting to peel off. "Cass," He called softly, but she didn't stop. It wasn't until he strode over to her and gripped her hands in his, halting her cleaning. "Cass, look at me please."

"I can't." She shook her head and looked down at her still stained hands.

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you cracked out a few kinks in my neck." He was trying to make light of the situation to try and take her guilt away, but she was just overwhelmed and ashamed.

"It's not funny, Damon." Her voice was quiet.

"It was an accident." He consoled and rubbed his thumbs over the backs of her hands.

"How can you just stand there and pretend like everything is okay?" She asked incredulously. "I _killed_ you, Damon. Something is wrong and I don't know what it is."

"Listen to me," Damon stepped forward and cupped her cheeks, seeing that she was getting worked up. "Relax; we're all here to help you." He then touched her hands which were still stained dark red and frowned. "Why don't you go shower, okay?" She nodded hesitantly and he kissed her softly.

* * *

Elena and Stefan sat in complete silence in the living room of the boarding house. It was awkward being around one another. Elena was angry that Stefan had lied to everyone about Connor and the cure, Stefan knew this and didn't want to even try to explain himself. He promised himself that he'd never lie to Elena, but he wanted the cure for her and would stop at nothing to get it even if it meant keeping it a secret from her.

"Will Cassandra be okay?" Elena's question shook Stefan from his thoughts and he looked at her for the first time that she was sitting there.

He shrugged his shoulders and toyed with his daylight ring. "I don't know."

"I should be upstairs with her. I should be there for her." She pressed.

"Let Damon handle this, Elena." Stefan sighed.

"But, I'm her friend, Stefan. Aren't friends supposed to help each other through tough times?"

"Yes, but Cassandra said that you two had words." The vampire moved to the liquor cabinet to pour himself and Elena drinks.

"I uhm…." Elena just wanted to help Cassandra, but she knew that she had to tow the line for what she said to her the night of the frat party. "I told her I hated her."

"Elena," Stefan pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know." She whined. "It was stupid, but I was having a good time with them and then I just crashed. My emotions flipped like a switch and I said some things I shouldn't have." She held her head in the hands and just let their argument play over in her head. Bonnie saw covered in blood and her high immediately diminished. She didn't want anyone to see her like that, she felt embarrassed for embracing her true nature. "I blamed her for making me turn."

"Well, she did."

"No, Stefan. I shouldn't have blamed her. I didn't have to drink, but at the time I wanted to live." Elena was wrecked with guilt that Cassandra was going through this alone. She had Damon, but she wanted to be there for Cassandra too.

* * *

"I need you to do something for me." Cassandra started.

Damon sat in front of her on the bed and nodded. "Anything."

Cassandra played with her hands in her lap, searching for the right words to say. Her shower had temporarily made her feel better but she got to thinking. She needed to keep herself away from everyone if she wanted to keep them safe. "I want you to lock me up in the basement."

"What?"

"I don't know how much worse these hallucinations will get." She shook her head. "I can't risk hurting you again or hurting anyone else."

"Cassandra,"

"Please, Damon. Please do this for me." She took his hands in hers, pleading with him to help her do this. His eyes were filled with worry and trepidation, it's not every day your fiancé asks you to chain her up in the basement.

It took a lot of begging and puppy dog eyes, but Damon finally gave in. He clicked the last tight cuff on her wrist and tested the chains on each wrist and ankle, yanking at them to make sure they were secure. Cassandra had to get used to this cell being her home for a little while. She didn't want to leave until she was completely fixed, but she was unsure of how long these hallucinations would last. Cassandra even pulled at the chains herself; they rattled loudly but didn't break.

"This sucks..."

"I can't believe you talked me into this." Damon scorned.

"It's for my own good." She hummed and looked down at her bound wrists and ankles, fingering the chains. "Thank you for doing this for me."

Damon tucked a curl behind her ear and cupped her cheek. "Are you sure about this?" He was uncomfortable with leaving her in a cell, but she had begged him to do this for her.

Cassandra's eyes skimmed around the damp, dismal cell. It was mostly bare with only a chair in the corner and a makeshift cot against the wall. "It's drab, but it'll have to do." She had to try and stay positive about this even though her situation was less than favorable. His blue eyes were filled with uncertainty, but he'd stand by her decisions no matter how crazy they seemed. He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip before kissing her on the lips gently.

Damon had left shortly after as per Cassandra's request. She wanted to keep him as far away from her as possible. It hurt her to send him away, but she couldn't put a price on his safety. Only a couple of minutes passed by and she was sure that she had never been so bored in her entire life. Time was ticking unbelievably slowly and she could practically feel each and every minute that was passing. All she could do was count things. How many times could she count the links in each chain?

Thirty-four to be exact.

That multiplied by four is one hundred thirty-six.

Cassandra groaned once more as she started to count the cracks in the ceiling.

Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

Stefan looked down once again at his caller ID and inwardly groaned. Klaus had been calling all day, but Stefan was reluctant to face the music, not to mention Klaus was aware that Connor was dead and gone.

"Quit avoiding him. That means shady. Shady people get outted." Damon pressed as he sat with Stefan on the front porch of the boarding house.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted the phone to his ear. "I don't want to talk about it."

"_Well, I can't imagine why. What with you ruining all my plans for a hybrid filled future."_ Klaus didn't exactly sound chipper.

"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy." Stefan stated

"_Well, life's full of ifs, Stefan. But let's accentuate the positives, shall we? The hunter was one of five; we'll find another. It may take centuries, but we've got nothing but time, right?"_ He was making his way down the quaint streets of the neighborhood just outside of town.

"You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" The younger vampire asked as his hand twitched by his side.

"_Not you, if that's what you're worried about. But I am concerned about Damon's beloved."_ The brother's exchanged a nervous glance and Damon was suddenly more interested in the conversation. _"Have the hallucinations started yet?"_

"What do you know about that?" Stefan then started to pace.

"_I'll tell you. Where are you?"_

"I'm at the boarding house." He replied.

Klaus walked down the street and up the walkway to the porch. _"How convenient, so am I."_ He clicked off the phone as the three of them stood outside. "You know, this would all be a lot more civilized if I was just invited inside."

"But it's such a nice day out." Damon smirked. "Besides, Cassandra is a little…off the wall. We don't need her stabbing you. Actually, on second thought."

"Damon," Stefan growled.

"Well, it is a shame about your lovely fiancé." Klaus shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It's an ugly thing when one kills a hunter."

"What do you know?" Damon asked.

"I killed the original five hunters, remember? When one kills a hunter, there's a bit of a consequence." He started.

"What kind of consequences?" Stefan chimed in.

"The hunters were spelled by witches to kill vampires; if you prevent one from fulfilling their destiny then they'll take you down with them." Klaus explained and Damon raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Connor's dead." The green eyed vampire probed.

"I mean, Connor's death won't prevent him from making Cassandra his final kill. She'll need to come with me now. I'll lock her up; keep her away from any sharp wooden objects." This information scared both brothers to the core.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Damon scowled. "She's not going anywhere with you."

"Don't get jealous, Damon. I'll make sure to take good care of her." The hybrid smirked.

"She's already locked in the cellar." Stefan added in an effort to keep his brother calm.

"Oh, she'll break through that easy." Klaus waved his hand. "She needs to be somewhere made to hold a hybrid or she'll take her own life before the day is out."

"Cassandra is strong than that. You just want her with you and not with me." The raven haired vampire growled. "You're not the good guy, Klaus, so stop trying to act like it."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at Damon and clenched his teeth. "You're not exactly the good guy either, Damon. But if Cassandra doesn't come with me right now, I can guarantee that she won't live to see another day."

* * *

"Twenty-four bottles of scotch on the wall. Twenty-four bottles of scotch. You take one down, pass it around, twenty-four bottles of scotch on the wall." Cassandra was lying on the floor now, completely bored and going out of her mind. Thankfully she hadn't any hallucinations. Perhaps a day in solitary confinement was just what she needed.

"Twenty-three bottles of scotch on the wall–" She stopped suddenly when she saw Connor sitting in the chair in the corner of the cell.

"Having fun?" He taunted.

"Loads." She deadpanned.

Connor rose from the chair and swiped some blood from the side of his neck and walked over to her. "You look a little hungry. Why don't you have some?" He extended his hand to her and the scent of his blood wafted into her nostrils.

"No thanks. I'm actually trying to cut back." It was a pointless joke, but she chuckled at it anyways.

"You seemed to like it when you drank from me." He said and Cassandra remained on the floor.

"Well, you pissed me off." She growled and sat up, looking at him now. "You staked my friend."

"Oh, Elena." Connor nodded. "You're the reason that she's the vampire. She said it herself."

"She's angry and her emotions are out of control." She was trying to defend her own actions for helping Elena turn, but it further turned the screws in her gut.

"You made her feed so you could be back with Damon. That's awful selfish of you." He cocked his head to the right, his lips twisted up in a taunting smirk.

Cassandra flashed at him, but was yanked back since her chains weren't long enough. She was stopped just short of Connor, their noses nearly touching. "Get out of my head!"

"Because of you, she's cursed. She's a monster just like you." Connor took up a spare chain from the floor and appeared behind Cassandra. He clasped the chain around her neck, pulling her body to him. Cassandra tried to yank the chain away, but Connor was pulling it so tightly, that the skin was splitting and blood dribbled out of the wounds. "You deserve to die. You_ all_ deserve to die!"

"N-no!" She choked.

"Admit it!" He jerked the chain harder, making her skin sever even more. A couple more tugs and her head would be decapitated. She heard the sound of the lock of the cell door being unbolted and she lifted her eyes to see Damon standing in the door way.

"Damon! Help me, please!" She rasped.

The site before him sent a chill up his spine. Cassandra was strangling herself with one of the extra chains in the cell. Her neck was cut open and bleeding, but she still continued to asphyxiate herself. "Drop the chain, Cassandra!" He took a step forward and she tightened the chain around her neck.

"Get him off me! Make him stop!" He figured that she was having a hallucination that Connor was choking her, but she was hurting herself. Her body was suddenly shoved forward, the chain dropping to the floor and she followed. Damon ran to her and pulled her up, examining her neck.

"What the hell were you doing?" He hissed and shook her slightly, trying to shake some sense into her.

Cassandra's bleary eyes meet Damon's blue one's but they quickly morphed into the ones of the cold, dark hunter. She tensed immediately and pushed him off her. "No!"

"What's wrong?" Damon asked, partially stunned that she was pushing him away. Cassandra flashed out of the cell and up the stairs. She needed to get away from Connor before he hurt her again. Throwing open the front door; she was met with Klaus and Stefan. In a matter of seconds, Klaus sped toward Cassandra, grabbed her, and then sped away from the boarding house. Damon had just stepped onto the porch seeing Klaus leave with her and gave Stefan a worried glance.

Cassandra was quickly getting worse.

* * *

"Let go of me!" Cassandra struggled against Klaus's grip as he ushered her into a room in his manor.

"Certainly," He spat and shoved her into the room, making her stumble slightly. Her eyes ran over the expanse of the room. She thought he would have taken her to some kind of prison cell, but this room looked like a bedroom. Art pieces hung on the walls and the room was furnished nicely with a bed, couches and chairs as well. "Sorry for the lack of windows; it's to preserve the art. And of course to prevent you from escaping and getting into any more trouble." Klaus shut the door behind him.

"You think this is funny?" She growled.

"Hilarious." He scoffed.

"I am not going to kill myself." Cassandra denied.

"Oh, but you'll want to. I did. Problem is, I'm immortal." He replied.

Cassandra looked back at him. "You went through this?"

"Yes, I did. For fifty-two years, four months, and nine days. I was tormented, in my dreams, my every waking moment, relentless, never ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time."

"I'm sorry." Cassandra mumbled and sat back on the bed. "You knew this would happen if Connor died."

"You should have listened to Stefan when he told you that he had it under control." He said with a shrug.

"How did you make them stop?" She asked.

"I didn't. Eventually it just stopped. The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms."

"Well, I don't have fifty-two years to wait." She sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed. "I have a wedding to plan."

Klaus let out a chuckle before letting himself frown. "Not if you kill the groom." Hate filled eyes snapped up to meet his, wishing that looks could kill for the comment he just made. He knocked twice on the door and one of his hybrids opened it a little, enough room for him to get out. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He closed the door behind him and Cassandra flew at it, flailing her fists.

"Let me out of here! You can't keep me in here for forever!" She pounded on the door, but all she heard was Klaus telling his hybrid, Chris, to check in on her from time to time and if there were any problems to let him know.

* * *

"Let me ask you something, Stefan, what the hell gives you the right to go after my fiancé?" Damon spat angrily into the speaker of his phone.

"_Damon, just help Bonnie with Professor Shane."_ Stefan grumbled. _"Find out everything you can about the hunter's curse. The faster we do this, the faster we can help Cassandra."_

"We're waiting for Professor Creepy to finish his speech about some stupid, old rock." He and Bonnie had gone up to the high school in hopes that Professor Shane would have any information on how to stop Cassandra's hallucinations.

"_Let me know when you find out something."_ The green eyed vampire hung up the phone as he walked into the Mikaelson mansion with Tyler by his side. They were going to have a chat with one of Klaus's un-sired hybrids.

* * *

"Oh my god," Cassandra gritted under her breath and lobbed a book at Connor. "Can't you go away and leave me alone?" The hunter had been appearing to her ever since Klaus locked her away in her ivory tower. Sometimes he'd talk to her and other times he'd just sit in silence and watch her.

"I won't be going away anytime soon." He shook his head and caught the book in his hands, thumbing through it.

"Lovely," She rolled her eyes and slumped in a chair.

"Did you know that I had a family?" He mused, his eyes still skimming through the worn pages.

"And here comes the guilt trip." Cassandra sighed. "Everyone has a family. We can't control who our targets are."

"See, that's Damon talking. He's completely poisoned your mind. He makes killing innocent people okay, so you just follow in his footsteps." He tossed the book aside, walking towards her now.

"That's not true." She shook her head.

"I want to hear an answer that Cassandra would give me. You were remorseful...once." His eyes burned into hers.

"We're vampires. We hunt, we feed, and we kill." She replied.

"Your parents are probably rolling in their graves hearing you talk like this." Her fists suddenly clenched, her nails biting into her palm.

"Don't talk about my parents! You have no idea who they were." She glowered.

"I can paint a pretty picture. Mother and father raising a beautiful, caring, sweet girl in a small town." Connor started. "She was everything her parents wanted her to be."

"Stop it!" Cassandra covered her ears; she didn't want to hear this anymore.

"She had everything she ever wanted and she met one of those monsters." He continued to speak even though she was trying to tune him out. "Elijah, he introduced you to the whole word of vampires. In fact, it was his blood that made you turn when you died."

"Shut up!" She fisted her hair, yanking and tugging at it.

"And then he made you leave your family. They were heartbroken." Connor was quickly worming his way into her brain and she slowly found herself agreeing with everything he was saying. "They were so grief-stricken from missing their little girl. You killed them."

"No!" Cassandra seethed and rose from the couch. "I didn't. It was an accident. Elijah didn't mean to turn me."

"But you completed your transition on your own. You made the choice and it killed them." He laughed evilly and Cassandra let her hybrid features surface.

"I said, stop!" She jumped at Connor but he quickly disappeared into thin air. Her body landed on the plush bed and she beat the mattress, hoping to drain her frustration. She took up one of the pillows and used her sharp nails to shred it. Screaming and thrashing, the goose feathers were being strewn all over the room.

"Are you done throwing your tantrum yet?" Cassandra suddenly stopped and turned, her mouth was agape at the person who was appearing to her now.

"Katherine?"

"Did you miss me?" She smirked playfully.

* * *

"Connor's right, you know?" Katherine circled Cassandra, her eyes leering at her. "You were such a sweet little girl when you were a human. When you were turned you became a complete bitch."

"Likewise, you human mattress." Cassandra spat.

"Ouch, you're very touchy." The vampire smirked and lifted one of Cassandra's curls from her shoulder before letting it go.

"Do you mind brining Connor back? I'd rather have him than you." She snorted and plopped herself in a chair.

"You have singlehandedly ruined Elena's life. Because of you, she's now a vampire, something she never wanted to be. And now her relationship with Stefan is crumbling." Katherine leaned against the bed frame, examining underneath her nails.

She hung her head, partly ashamed that Elena turning was causing her so much guilt. "I didn't mean for all of that to happen."

"Oh, please. You play it off like you're so innocent. You're the complete opposite. Your very existence causes people pain." Her hands were on the arms of the chair, fencing her in.

"Shut up, Katherine." Cassandra seethed.

"You do know that I'm not even here, right? Yep, I'm just a figment of your imagination." She laughed. "Do you know how crazy this makes you look? You're in a room with no sharp objects and you're talking to yourself. I wonder if Damon knows he's marrying a complete basket case."

"He loves me!" She fought, leaning up so she and Katherine were face to face.

"He loves me, he loves me not." She sang. "God, you are so pathetic. You're worse than Elena. That's saying a lot."

"You're just jealous because I'm happy with Damon and you're on the run from Klaus." Cassandra smirked. That was something she could rub in Katherine's face.

"That may be true," The vampire seemed to ponder the thought and she cocked her head slightly. She made a humming noise before giving Cassandra a coy smile. "But I stole him from you back in 1864."

Cassandra saw red, she wanted Katherine's blood. She growled and shoved the vampire away, but she just giggled out loud. "You stupid bitch!" She gripped the arms of the chair, her nails digging into the expensive wood.

"Aww, did I hurt your feelings?" Katherine playfully pouted. "Once you've gone completely insane, Damon will be on the rebound. And then I can feel his body pressing against mine as takes that big thic–"

Katherine didn't get a change to finish her sentence as Cassandra jumped at her, fangs bared, hoping to bite her or at least rip her head off. "Enough! Stop talking! No more! Nothing!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs, anything to make Katherine shut up.

"You are absolutely pathetic when you're angry." Katherine just laughed and laughed to her heart's content. "You should just rip your own heart out to save you from an eternity of misery."

"Get out of my head!" Cassandra bellowed and shoved the vampire away from her. She heard the door behind her unlocking and she knew that it was probably Klaus coming to check up on her. No doubt his hybrids informed him that she was just screaming at nothing. Cassandra turned to see Connor pushing open the door. "Oh no,"

"Cassandra, it's me. It's Stefan." The vampire told her but she shook her head, only hearing Connor's voice.

"Guess whose back again." The hunter taunted and strode towards her.

"No!" Cassandra rushed towards one of the chairs and broke the wooden leg off of it, holding it up threateningly. "Stay away from me!"

Stefan immediately put his hands up in the air, showing that he wasn't a threat to her. "Easy, Cassandra. It's okay; I'm not here to hurt you."

"C'mon, hybrid. Take a shot at me." Connor's voice in her head won over and she flashed towards Stefan, pinning him to the wall and staking him there. The vampire moved to remove the stake, but a rush of wind made him look around the room.

Cassandra had flown the coop.

Klaus was going to kill him.

* * *

_"Damon..."_ Stefan groaned. _"I...I lost her."_

"You lost her?! How the hell did you lose her?" His brother hissed.

_"I went to break her out and she saw me as Connor. She stabbed me and ran off. I don't know where she is."_ He explained as he tore the makeshift stake from his stomach.

"God dammit, Stefan! You can never do anything right!" Damon growled.

_"Did Shane tell you anything about the hunters curse?"_ Stefan was hoping to change the subject so he wouldn't be blamed for losing Cassandra.

"That a potential hunter has to kill a supernatural creature in order to make the hallucinations stop. Aka, Jeremy Gilbert." He told him.

"_I can do that."_ The vampire nodded. _"She's in bad shape, Damon. We need to help her."_

"Don't you think I know that, Stef?" Damon pinched the bridge of his nose.

"_Klaus said that the hallucinations will make her want to kill herself."_ Stefan spoke.

"Then that means that Cassandra would have to–"

_"Rip her own heart out or decapitate herself."_ Stefan finished.

Damon just let that all sink in for a moment. If the hallucinations weren't stopped, then he'd lose her forever. Losing her was not an option. "I have to go after her, Stefan. She's getting worse and she needs me."

_"She'll see you as a hallucination, Damon."_ Stefan shook his head. _"Besides, we have no idea where she is right now."_

"Then I'm going out to look for her. The last thing she needs right now is to be alone." He looked down the hall to see Bonnie talking with Jeremy. "Just get Jeremy to kill a vampire and I'll look for Cassandra." He hung up his phone, not waiting for his brother's reply and shoved it in his pocket.

Damon jogged out of Mystic Falls High and looked around, where the hell could Cassandra be? She probably didn't have a phone on her, but he dialed her anyway. He was met with her voicemail and he growled in frustration. He knew that he didn't have much time left to save her. If he could just stall for a little bit, he could make more time for Stefan to get Jeremy a vampire to kill. It was dark out now and that would only make it harder for Damon to find his fiancé before things got bad.

"Where is Cassandra?" Elena asked as she approached Damon. Her friend was on her mind all day and she had held her tongue for the most part, she was done waiting and sitting idly by while everyone ran around like chickens with their heads cut off.

"We lost her...again." The vampire growled irritably.

"What?"

"We sent your boyfriend to get her and she freaked out. Now we don't know where she is." Damon was now pacing back and forth.

"I'm going out to find her." Elena was determined to help Damon get her back.

"No, you are not going anywhere." Damon stopped her in her tracks. "I'm going to find her."

"Then I'm coming with you!" The young vampire followed closely.

"Elena, Cassandra is not herself. She's unpredictable and a little crazy right now so we have no idea what she will do." He explained.

"But I want to help her, Damon. Cassandra has always been there for me and even when I pushed her away, she never gave up on me." Elena argued her position, but Damon was still uneasy with the fact that Cassandra could possibly go rogue and hurt or even kill Elena.

"She could kill you, Elena!" Damon hissed.

"I'm not giving up on her Damon!" She fought back. "Now, I'm going to find my friend and you can either come with me or not! Just don't try to stop me!" She turned on her heel and stomped down the walkway as Damon looked after her. He admired her determination and was happy that Elena was willing to go after her friend. Yanking his car keys from his pocket, he bounded after Elena, hell-bent on getting Cassandra back to him.

* * *

Cassandra finally stopped running and fell to her knees once the voices in her head stopped talking. She found herself deep in the woods and she cried to herself, hugging her knees to her chest. How much longer could she continue like this? She'd rather be dead than deal with Connor and Katherine appearing to her. The darkness surrounded her and all that could be heard was her sniffling and the occasional chirp of the crickets. Never in her life had she felt so helpless, so alone, so weak. Her watery red eyes lifted to see that she was in the middle of a bunch of ruins. Some piles of bricks remained stacked even though most of the foundation had collapsed.

Her home.

Her old home.

It certainly didn't hold the same splendor now as it did back in 1864. It was just a pile of ruble now, the unused land stretched out for miles and she could remember walking along the gardens with Damon in the springtime. Her cousins would come and visit and they would often run on the grounds and chase one another, laughing and giggling the whole while. Damon and Stefan's first home looked much like this, nearly nonexistent and forgotten. So many good memories were shared in her home that she felt an overwhelming sadness overtake her that it was all gone. Her parents died here, killed in cold blood and she felt as if that was her fault as well. If Elijah had told her to go with Klaus because her parents' lives were in danger, she would have done it in a heartbeat, anything to protect her family. She rose to her feet and trudged through the ruins of her old home, there was nothing left.

"Cassandra?" She turned at the sound of her name being called and saw Elena standing not too far off from her. She gave Elena a smile, thinking she was a hallucination. "Hey, what are you doing out here?" The young vampire figured that she should try to speak to her as gently as she could.

"Oh, Elena..." She whimpered and sat down amongst the ruins. "It's all gone." Elena moved to sit beside her but didn't say a word. She would probably feel the same way if her own home was completely destroyed by time. "It's my fault, Elena. It's my fault you're like this." Cassandra kept her eyes forward and stared out into the night.

"But I would have died. You're the reason I'm alive." Elena scooted closer to her.

"You never wanted this life. I didn't even give you a choice." The two girls sat in silence. Elena never wanted to be vampire, but yet, here she was. In the beginning, she was angry with herself and everyone around her. It was an irrational anger due to her heightened senses, but she took it out on everyone, including Cassandra. Her emotions were now leveling out, very slowly, but baby steps. Instead of being angry, she should be thankful that she is here on earth and living with her beloved friends.

"I remember you." She stated and for the first during their conversation, Cassandra turned to look at her.

"You what?" She asked.

"I remember the first time I met you near this bridge. You thought I was Katherine, but then we got to talking about life and we made a promise that we'd get what we wanted in life no matter what." Her story registered with Cassandra and she smiled slightly. She did remember meeting Elena long before her second return to Mystic Falls. "My life has been turned upside down and some days I wanna just curl up and not care, but I can't. I'm keeping my side of the promise and so do you."

Cassandra was quiet as she continued to listen to Elena. Most of her hallucinations were telling her to give up, but Elena was different. She was trying to bring her back to the person she was before all of this happened. "Look at what I've become. I've killed so many people without remorse. When I was a new vampire, I'd just kill for the fun of it." Elena shivered from her chilling story. "I'm better off dead. I don't deserve to live. I'm a monster, Elena." She whimpered.

"Is Connor telling you this?" The baby vampire asked and Cassandra nodded. "He doesn't know the real you. Look at who you are now. You're kind. You're generous and you are so, so brave. You taught me to be brave. Look at all of the lives you've saved. You saved all of us like a billion times." She patted Cassandra's knee. "And you deserve to live. You know why?" Cassandra didn't answer, her fingers were picking at the little blades of grass beneath her. "Because we all love you. You're important to us and you matter. Don't let Connor or anyone else tell you that you don't deserve to live because I don't know how I would have gotten through this if it wasn't for you." The hybrid gave her a small smile, comforted by Elena's warm words.

"When I was dying, Damon gave me a dream and my house was in it. It looked so beautiful and my mom and dad were there. It was amazing." She smiled but her eyes were watering at the thought of times passed.

"I'm sure it was beautiful." Elena agreed.

Cassandra nodded but stopped when her eyes narrowed in on something in the distance. Elena tensed since she thought that she was seeing a hallucination, but what Cassandra was seeing was very real. The hybrid stood and strode forward a few steps until she reached the trunk of a very old tree. Pieces of bark were peeling, the edges were raised just so as if waiting for someone to come and pick them off. She ran her fingertips over the thick trunk and was struck with the harsh memories of Katherine snapping her neck. This was the very spot where human life ended and her vampire life begun.

"You should have died that night." Katherine's threat made her shiver. "Like you were supposed to."

The hybrid jumped back from the tree as she saw her 1864 self lying dead on the ground, her neck snapped at an ungodly angle. "I should have died here..."

"Cassandra?" Elena stood as well, clearly unaware that Katherine was there.

"This tree is where Katherine killed me when I was a human." She told her. "I shouldn't be here now. I was supposed to die right here."

"No, Cassandra. You're alive for a reason!" Elena fought.

Cassandra whirled around to look back at the baby vampire. "And what's that reason? To cause people pain?" She growled. "I deserve to die, so why didn't I?" Elena couldn't answer her at all; she'd never seen her like this.

"You know what you have to do." Katherine purred in her ear from behind and gently took her wrist. Cassandra's hybrid side emerged from deep inside her. Long, pointed nails sprouted and her eyes had flicks of amber in them. She looked down at her hands which was now somewhat deformed from only doing a small part of her transformation.

"Those are the hands that killed so many people." Connor now stepped forward and nodded to Katherine who was still gripping Cassandra's wrist. "You have so much blood on your hands, but you can make it all end right now."

"Cassandra?" Elena's voice was wavering as she stole worried glances at Cassandra's gruesome hands. Her first thought was that Cassandra was going to take her madness out on her, but what happened next completely frightened her.

Cassandra thrust her hand into her own chest. Her sharp nails pierced the skin and sliced through the muscle and bone that was protecting the very reason why she was still alive.

Her heart.

Even though she was undead, the organ still worked much like a human heart. It pumped blood throughout her body, it fluttered whenever Damon was near, it pounded when danger was afoot, but most importantly; she felt guilt in her heart. Each kill felt incredible, she could kill a thousand more if she chose to, but after about thirty seconds, reality set in that she had killed an innocent human being. Her humanity would switch back on and she'd become overwhelmed. Elena watched in absolute horror as Cassandra continued to dig her hand even deeper into her chest. Blood was now seeping from the wound at an alarming rate and Elena wasn't sure what she could do to stop her friend from going off the deep end.

"Once you do this, it will all be over." Katherine still held Cassandra's wrist tightly, not wanting her to back down from this endeavor.

The pain was unimaginable. Her chest was being savagely ripped open by her own hands and she actually wanted to do this, no matter how bad the pain was. As her hand got closer to its destination, her heart beat even faster as if to beg for its life. Her fingers curled around the organ and a sick smile graced her lips, she was almost free.

"Cassandra, no!" Elena screamed. "You can't do this!"

"Don't listen to her." Connor said firmly. "You are the reason why she is a monster."

"I'm sorry, Cassandra. I'm sorry for everything I said to you." She was near groveling now, but she really was sorry. She now knew how deep her words had scarred her. "I was angry and I didn't mean it. You were trying to help me and I pushed you away."

"Don't listen to her." Katherine scowled. "All she cares about is Stefan."

"We all care about you, Cassandra. Just please stop and come home so we can talk about this." Elena begged but Cassandra was nowhere near stopping.

"You have to do this," Katherine fed her.

"I...I have to do this, Elena." Cassandra whimpered in pain.

"You deserve to die." Connor added and Katherine roughly tugged on Cassandra's wrist, jerking her heart a little.

The hybrid howled in agony, growling and seething. "I deserve to die." Elena wasn't sure there was much that she could do, Cassandra was long gone and there was no bringing her back. Although, she did have one last option.

"You can't leave us all alone. What about Damon?" It was a reach, but she could see that it struck a chord with Cassandra. Her eyes softened and her hand partially unclenched.

"Damon?" She questioned.

"He loves you, Cassandra." The young vampire proclaimed.

Katherine giggled and licked her lips, "She's lying. Damon loves me. It's only a matter of time before he really sees that."

"Do you know how many women he's bedded?" Connor moved his face close to Cassandra's, their noses were nearly touching. "You're just another notch in his headboard."

"He'll find someone else and forget all about you." Katherine chimed in. "That ring on your finger means nothing."

Cassandra was freely crying now. There were too many voices; they all needed to be stopped. "He'll find someone else and forget about me." She shook her head, her hand curling back around her heart again, unable to deal with the sadness of losing Damon and the taunting voices.

Elena's eyes were wide, she had lost. She got to Cassandra for a split second, but she lost her just as much as she gained her. "Cassandra, don't do this!" She begged.

"He...he doesn't love me." Cassandra cried, tugging on her heart.

"That's right. End your suffering." Connor urged.

"It's time for you to die and stay dead this time." Katherine agreed. Cassandra took in a deep breath, readying herself for the final kill. This was it. It would all be over soon.

Just as her arm yanked roughly, Cassandra's ears were ringing at Elena's piercing scream and she was thrown up against a tree. A pair of lips crashed down on hers, diminishing any shred of insanity from her, even if it was only for a little while. A new presence took a hold of her wrist. It squeezed gently, a thumb running over the bluish veins that sat just below the surface of her skin. Soft lips caressed hers in a sweet kiss that made her heart melt and her knees weak. Cassandra found herself kissing him back and unbeknownst to her, her hand was being removed from her chest, making sure to leave her heart intact. Both arms hung limply at her sides and the kiss was slowly broken. Damon's blue eyes stared down into her hazy brown ones and he could also see the wound in her chest closing up quickly. The sun was rising between the trees, casting a glow on everything it touched. The blue eyed vampire raised a hand to run the back of his fingers against her cheek and she leaned into his touch.

"So, you think I don't love you anymore?" He spoke and her eyes snapped open. She could hear traces of amusement in his voice and his eyed showed the same. Cassandra smiled slightly, new tears of joy forming. She was ready to part her lips and say something, but an overwhelming wave of sleepiness cascaded over her. Her body grew weak and she leaned back against the tree for support. Her eyes fluttered closed, she didn't even fight it; she was too tired to. Damon scooped her up in his arms, holding her close and kissing her hair. Elena walked forward too, smiling that Damon had saved the day.

"It's all over." Bonnie weaved through the trees to the trio. "Jeremy completed his task. I put a spell on Cassandra to make her sleep. She needs to recover now." She instructed.

* * *

Elena pulled back the covers of Damon's king size bed and fluffed the pillows, stacking them near the headboard. She moved aside to let Damon place a clean Cassandra inside the covers. With Elena's help, she was showered and the blood was washed off her. Elena brought in a blood bag and placed it on the bedside table in case Cassandra was hungry when she woke up. Both vampires waited patiently, staring down at a sleeping Cassandra, waiting for her to wake up.

"Thank you." It was soft, but it still shook Elena from herself. "For helping last night. I couldn't have done it without you."

She smiled at Damon, "You're welcome. I only wish there was more I could do. I still feel guilty for everything I said." She shrugged.

"Cassandra's not one to hold a grudge." Damon chuckled and stroked his lover's hair back off her forehead. "She knows how to forgive."

"I know she does." Elena nodded and stood from her chair she had pulled over to the side of the bed.

"Where are you going?" He asked, an eyebrow slightly raised.

"You two should have your own time together." She spoke.

"I'm sure she'd like to see you when she gets up." Damon offered.

Elena gave a simple smile and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "Nah, she needs time with you. I'll see her later." She turned on her heel and strode towards the door when Damon's voice stopped her.

"How'd you know she'd be there?" He asked.

Truthfully, Elena didn't know that Cassandra would be at her old home. It was just a guess, but it was a dead on one. "She's really sentimental, kind of like me. If I was going to kill myself, I would have done it where I was supposed to die too." She replied. It was eerie and cryptic, but Elena would have never thought that way when she was a human. But, she wasn't a human now, she was a vampire and it was time to start embracing it.

* * *

It was the bright rays of sunlight against Cassandra's skin that made her wake from her slumber. A comfy mattress and pillow were beneath her and blankets tucked her in tightly. She shifted in bed slightly before opening her eyes and staring up at the ceiling. Last night felt like a surreal dream. She remembered everything but she knew deep down that it was just a dream and nothing more.

"Morning." Damon's deep voice came from near the window and she turned herself onto her side. Her vampire was leaning against the bedpost smiling down at her. The rays of sunlight shining from the window behind him gave him a heavenly halo. "How are you feeling?"

"My head is clear, but I remember everything. It was like a really bad dream." She murmured.

"But it's over now." Damon nodded and sat down beside her. She slowly sat up and crossed her legs, fiddling with the blankets.

"I was so scared, Damon." She recalled. "It was like I was watching myself try to kill myself and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Connor and Katherine were there too."

Damon frowned and took her hands in his. "It's okay." He consoled. "You're home and you're safe."

She nodded and squeezed his hands, rubbing her thumbs over the backs of his hands. "You saved me."

"You seem so surprised." He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I thought I was beyond saving." She shrugged and played with Damon's fingers.

"Never." He shook his head and brought her hands up to his lips, kissing the backs of them.

"Thank you." Cassandra smiled and looked down at her engagement ring. "Promise me we'll get married soon?"

Damon smiled too and scooted into bed with her, kicking off his heavy boots and pulling her close to him. "I did suggest Vegas." He reminded her.

"I know, but I don't want to wait anymore. I'm finally happy and I can't wait to call you my husband." She felt all giddy inside just saying it out loud.

"I'm happy too." Damon leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. "As soon as we can, we'll do it."

"I hope it's soon." She nodded and propped her head on his chest. "I saw Elena there too. Was that real?"

Damon combed his fingers through her curls. "Yeah, she wanted to help too. I was going to take all of the credit, but I guess I can't now." He smirked.

"She's not mad at me anymore?" Cassandra tilted her head slightly.

"Nope, she actually wanted to talk to you about everything." He said and Cassandra yawned quietly. "How about you can talk to her later, okay?" She hummed her reply, already growing tired again.

"What time is it?" She yawned again.

"Too early for anyone to be up." Damon grumbled. "You had us looking for you all night."

Cassandra playfully smacked his chest, her eyes still closed. "Oh, please. You love it."

Damon chuckled and looked down at her, she wrapped her arms around his midsection, squeezing tightly as if afraid that he'd leave her or what happened this morning was a dream. He hugged her close to him, cradling her against his warm body and he heard her sigh in content. He kissed her hair and let his eyes fall closed too. He figured they only had a couple of hours before some other kind of trouble would show up in Mystic Falls.

They needed all the sleep they could get.

* * *

**Please leave a review :) If anyone has some kind of suggestion on what to do with this sire bond, feel free to help a girl out ;)**


	8. My Brother's Keeper

**Good God, I have struggled with this chapter so, so much - but I think I've got it! It's a reach, but please bare with me people! Thanks so much everyone for reviewing this story :) I love you all xoxo**

**Please review :)**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

"Damon, I am fully recovered." Cassandra wriggled from his hold.

"Come back to bed." The vampire bit at her neck. "Doctor's orders."

"Oh, so you're a doctor now?" She giggled and rolled to lie next to him.

Damon wiggled his eyebrows and pulled her hips flush against his. "Doctor Salvatore, at your service."

"What's the prognosis, doc?" She played along with him.

"Hmm, well, your skin is a little flushed." He ran a finger down her cheek, illustrating the blush that was settled just underneath her skin. "And your heart is racing."

"Those are some alarming symptoms. What do you suggest I do?" She tilted her head to the side.

"You should stay in bed all day and be spoiled by your devilishly handsome fiancé." He purred and kissed her soundly.

"I already am spoiled." She murmured against his lips.

"Then I'll spoil you even more." The vampire kissed her firmly and tried to keep her in bed with him, but she quickly blurred out of the bed and to the closet. "You're no fun. Will we ever get to spend a day in bed?" He pouted and threw off the covers to join her.

"With this town's track record? Not likely." She shook her head and pulled a short dark navy blue dress from the hanger and shimmied it up her body, smoothing out the creases.

"Fine." Damon deadpanned. "Then, for the honeymoon, you'll be on your back the entire time." He pulled her against him and brushed his lips just underneath her earlobe.

Cassandra shivered, he always knew the most sensitive spots on her skin. She suddenly flashed them, pinning him to the mattress and smirked down at him. "Not if I get you on your back first."

His blue eyes twinkled with lust but he didn't even get to enjoy her body pressed against his as she darted off him and down the hallway. The pair happened to meet Stefan halfway, "Where have you been?" Damon asked curiously.

"Ah, you know, out." Stefan shrugged, walking past the pair and Cassandra gave Damon a look.

"Where you going?" Cassandra inquired.

"Out." The green eyed vampire replied simply.

"Okay, I see shady Stefan is back." The female hybrid grumbled.

"Please don't tell me that you're still working with Klaus." Damon shook his head.

Stefan turned back to look at them. "You obviously haven't heard. Elena and I broke up." The couple was silent for a few moments; none of them knew really what to say. Even Damon was in shock as well.

"What?" Cassandra hissed.

"She's tired of the lies and I don't blame her." The vampire shrugged.

"Stefan, you can't let that stop you." She shook her head.

"Listen, it was a mutual decision between the both of us." He said. "I hated lying to her and she's completely changed ever since she became a vampire. I still love her, but it's just she thinks I don't love her the way she is."

Cassandra frowned; she really did feel sorry for the both of them. "Give her some time. She'll come around."

"Look, uh, we'll be quick then. So, apparently, if we want to find the cure, we have to find a vampire hunter who can kill enough vampires to reveal the map on the hunter's mark. Now, unless we want Jeremy to go all Connor 2.0; I suggest we find a different hunter." Damon explained.

"Okay. And?" Stefan raised an eyebrow.

"And I was gonna ask Professor Shane, but turns out he's shadier than you are." His brother snickered.

"Matt Donovan connected him and the Pastor through phone records. Apparently, the two were pretty chatty the day that the Pastor blew up the Council." Cassandra chimed in and she felt Damon lace his fingers with hers.

"Ah, so you're gonna confront Shane, threaten him, possibly kill him. That sort of thing." Stefan had enough on his plate with Elena, so he didn't feel that figuring out what Shane was up to was important.

"Yeah, unless he tells me what he's up to. What do you say? Should we tag team this?" Damon was hopefully that this little mission would take his brother's mind off his troubles.

Stefan shook his head, a frown painting his features. "Nah, I'd say you're on your own." He left the boarding house, slamming the door shut.

"I don't think he's gonna help us." Damon mumbled.

"No, but we're all we need." Cassandra smiled and kissed him soundly. "I'm going to help Caroline set up for the pageant. Wanna come?"

Damon mulled it over in his brain for a while and Cassandra could practically see his thought process all over his face. It went from considering it, to completely shutting the idea down. "Nope."

* * *

Caroline Forbes was standing outside the Lockwood mansion scribbling on the clipboard in her hands. As Miss Mystic Falls, she was placed in charge of setting up everything for the pageant. It was a great honor, but the blonde vampire was feeling herself become overwhelmed with the responsibility of it all. Now, she loved being a boss, but some of these people just could not take direction. Three girls walked towards her with flower arrangements and were chattering excitedly.

"Woah, woah, woah, stop, stop!" Caroline commanded and the girls all stopped suddenly. They stopped talking and waited for Caroline's next orders. "Those flowers go in the back as indicated by the floral chart that you guys had plenty of time to memorize." The girls bellyached and turned on their heels, walking away with their heads hung in shame. "Yeah, thank you."

"Geez, Caroline. Go easy on them." Cassandra frowned as the girls scurried off.

"They just don't get it. I have way too much responsibility on my hands." The blonde vampire whined and scribbled on her clipboard.

"You just need to relax. Everything will get done." She sighed, but she had a feeling that Caroline wasn't even listening to her.

"No! I told you that those centerpieces go on the main tables!" Caroline shrieked to some girls who were now cowering since the Miss Mystic Bitch was making her way over to them. Cassandra shook her head and started to arrange some colorful flowers in a vase.

"Did she make any girls cry yet?" Elena teased as she joined her.

"Not yet. Although she'd getting pretty close." Cassandra shrugged and smiled at Elena. "Listen, Elena, I'm sorry–"

"Nope," The baby vampire interjected. "I want to make things right between us. I never apologized for what I said to you the night of the frat party, so I'm really sorry. You and Damon were trying to help me and all I was doing was blaming you for making me like this, but you gave me a second chance. I can't thank you enough for that."

The two embraced each other tightly, hugging out their issues and pushing them aside. "How are you?" Cassandra asked as she pulled away from Elena. The baby vampire frowned; she knew what Cassandra was asking about.

"Stefan told you?" She questioned and Cassandra nodded. "I just felt like we needed a break. I guess we're all a little overwhelmed right now and it's just better for us to be apart."

Cassandra eyed the girl in front of her, seeing right through her facade. "Do you really believe that?"

Elena pouted and let out a deep sigh. "No," she shook her head, why did she even bother putting up a strong front when people could see right through it.

"When it's real, you can't walk away." Cassandra spoke.

"That's what Lexi told me." Elena smiled and fiddled with the daylight ring that Stefan had got for her. "You knew her?"

"Yeah, I met her a bunch of times." She shrugged. "Don't walk away from what you and Stefan have. You two have been with each other through everything and I mean everything."

"Yeah, I mean, we have the rest of eternity to figure it all out." Elena chuckled to herself.

"Mmhmm, and Damon and I will be there too in case Stefan needs a good ass whipping." Cassandra giggled.

"Yeah, but you guys will be married and doing you own thing." The girls then started to attack their work assignments from Caroline.

"That doesn't mean that we won't be around." She told her as she plucked a flower from the vase and stuck it in her hair. "Sure, Damon wants to up and leave Mystic Falls, but I don't know if I could permanently leave."

"This town has a lot of memories." Elena stated simply.

"Sometimes there's too many to count." She sighed and tossed aside some flowers that were wilting.

"You and Damon deserve to get away for a little while." Elena nodded.

"Please, he's already talking about the honeymoon." Cassandra shook her head but smiled slightly. "I have to get planning."

"Did I hear someone talking about wedding plans?" Caroline pranced over, a huge smile on her face.

"You heard right. And no, Caroline, I don't need help." Cassandra spoke and took the clipboard from her, examining the checklist.

"Oh, come on! I love weddings!" The blonde pouted.

"What a coincidence." Klaus smirked from behind the three girls. "So do I."

"Who said that you were getting an invite?" Cassandra remarked smartly.

"That's a shame, darling. I'd hate to miss the wedding of the century." He frowned in mock hurt.

"Go away. We're busy." Caroline growled.

"I was just coming to check on the lovely Cassandra who suffered quite a frightening ordeal." Klaus sauntered to them.

"I'm doing just fine." The female hybrid insisted.

"I'm sure Damon was there to save the day." Klaus grunted.

"Ha! Damon doing anything for anyone else, but himself?" The blonde vampire chortled. "That's hilarious." She had made an attempt to make a Damon-hating joke, but no one else seemed to be laughing. In fact, Cassandra and Elena were giving her disapproving looks while Klaus was the only one who seemed to chuckle lightly. "I mean, sure, Cassandra. He only does stuff for you, but everyone else he doesn't care about."

"Well, at least _one_ person sees that Damon's kindness toward others is all a ruse to make sure he gets what he wants." Klaus added.

"Okay," Cassandra interjected. "You know what? I think I'm done helping out here."

"No, Cass, please stay." Elena pleaded. "Caroline didn't mean that."

"Oh, I didn't?" The blonde raised a challenging eyebrow and Klaus happened to smirk at Cassandra's resistance which was quickly wearing thin. "I've never liked Damon. Never have, never will."

The female hybrid snapped, but still managed to hold her composure. "Hey, Caroline." She stepped closer to the blond and pushed the clipboard into her chest roughly. "If you're going to keep hating on my fiancé, then don't bother coming to my wedding." She growled and stalked off, ignoring any pleas that reached her ears to stay.

* * *

"Red!"

"No! The blue one is better!"

Caroline and Cassandra were busy trying to help April decide on a dress for the pageant and the contestants' stress level was only rising as she looked between two of the opposing opinions. The two hadn't spoken since their scuffle the other day and Cassandra was thankful for that. She had time to brood at home, to which Damon prodded as to why. She told him, but it didn't bother him at all.

"Don't do the red. It doesn't go with your complexion." Caroline shook her head.

"I disagree." Cassandra butt in. "The blue is nice, but the red is va-va voom!"

"It's too strong of a color." The vampire whined.

"Just wear the red one." Cassandra pressed.

"You're just saying that because red is your favorite color." She scowled.

Cassandra shrugged innocently and looked down at her short red wrap dress. "It's a great color!"

A knock at the door made all three girls turn to see Damon standing in the doorway looking absolutely dapper as always. "I can hear you two bickering from down the hall."

The blonde picked up a pin cushion, lobbing it at him. "Get out, lurker!"

"Ouch," Damon didn't seem too fazed by the flying object as it bounced off him and fell to the floor. "Where is Professor Shane?"

"Check the judges table." Caroline waved absently and walked back to April who was still looking conflicted over the two gowns.

"We can't decide on a dress." April said hopelessly and held up both.

Damon's careful eyes examined each one before making his choice. "Blue."

Caroline smirked and gave Cassandra a look. "Told you."

"Well, I love the red one, April. If you don't wear it, I will." Cassandra sighed.

"Wait, lemme see the dresses again." Damon requested and the girl held up both, putting each one in front of her body to help give Damon the full picture. Blue or _red_. Blue or _red_. He valued both choices but Cassandra's words rang out in his head the most. "Come to think of it, I like the red better."

That wiped the smirk clean off Caroline's face. "What? What happened to the blue one?"

"It's boring." He stated and Cassandra smiled.

"Red it is!" She clapped and took the blue dress from April, handing it back to Caroline.

"Seriously?" Caroline raised an eyebrow and tossed the dress aside.

Cassandra pranced over to Damon, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. "My man has good taste."

"You ready to go?" He asked and she nodded. Damon took her arm and looped it around his. They walked down the staircase and out onto the Lockwood property.

"This is beautiful." She gaped at the lavishness of everything. "Caroline did a beautiful job."

"Well, that's because she was controlling something." Damon snickered and laced his fingers with hers.

"Why did you change your mind about the dress?" She asked curiously.

"You were right." He replied. "The red one was the better choice."

Cassandra didn't think much more of it as they walked along the grounds together. "Hmm, I kinda wished that she picked the blue because then I could snatch the red one from her."

"You and red dresses." Damon chuckled and grabbed them two champagne flutes.

"I don't hear you complaining." She sipped daintily from the glass.

"Damon Salvatore. Looks like we travel in same circuit." Professor Shane approached the two and the vampire smiled charmingly.

"Professor Shane. Just the guy I wanted to see." Damon shook his hand firmly before looking to Cassandra. "This is my fiancé, Cassandra. She's also a history nerd."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes at Damon but reached her hand forward to the Professor. "Professor Shane, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too." Shane smiled and examined her a little more closely. "I don't remember meeting you at lecture up at the high school."

"Yes, but Damon was sure to tell me all about it. I apologize for not being there." Cassandra frowned. "But I just wasn't _myself_."

"That's alright. I'll be sticking around Mystic Falls for a while if you'd like to attend another lecture." He offered and Damon slipped an arm around Cassandra's waist.

"I'd like that very much." The hybrid beamed, trying to be as charming as possible, but this guy was just too damn shady.

"So, professor, we're in search of another hunter." The three of them walked through the pageant contestants and guests.

"Hunter?" Shane questioned.

"Mmhmm." Damon nodded.

"With a capital H? Why?"

"Same reason everyone needs a hunter. Loneliness, drinking buddy, or for golf." The vampire chuckled.

Shane raised his eyebrows in question. "I thought you said you already had a Potential."

"We did, but he ended up being a potential problem." Cassandra sighed.

"There's nothing I can do to help you." The professor shook his head.

Damon didn't seem convinced, Shane was hiding something. "Hmm, why don't you help me with this; why are you here? What's in your little lesson plan there, Professor?"

Shane was eyeing the two now, clearly feeling cornered by them. "You think too highly of me, Damon. I'm gonna go find the other judges." He started to walk off, but Damon's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Hey, no pity votes for April Young, okay? I mean, just because her dad blew up a house with a dozen people in it doesn't mean she should get a tiara. But you knew him, didn't you? Because I hear you two racked up a pretty impressive phone bill." As Damon spoke, they could both see that Shane was visibly shrinking.

"If you want to know something about me, Damon, just ask." Shane gritted.

Cassandra rolled her eyes; she was sick and tired of Shane beating around the bush. "Fine. How did you convince the Pastor to kill all those people?"

Shane looked back at Cassandra who wasn't backing down. "Did you just accuse me of mass murder in the middle of a high school pageant?" The two sides sized each other up before Carol tapped on the microphone that was on stage. She was gathering everyone for the pageant and Shane slinked off, muttering something about joining the other judges.

"Nice touch." Damon purred in her ear.

* * *

Cassandra and Damon had split their own separate ways, just scoping out the crowd, not really doing anything special. The female hybrid found herself at the table which held a picture and resume of each candidate. She didn't really know any of the candidates except for April. Each of the girls had a bright smile in their photos and their resumes were proofread to perfection.

"You must be Cassandra Emerson." A feminine voice greeted. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Cassandra turned over her shoulder and stared back at the woman in awe. It was like she was looking into a mirror. The woman was dressed in a slimming black dress with cut outs on the side; Cassandra could have sworn that she had that dress somewhere in her closet. A black bomber jacket was perched on her shoulders and Cassandra was positive that this girl was stealing her style. Golden highlights streaked her curls which were tied into a ponytail. Her green eyes sparkled in the sunlight. "Uhm, I'm sorry. Who are you?"

"I'm one of your ancestors. I'm Giuliana." She held out her hand and the hybrid took it, shaking it firmly. Black lines on the back of her hand caught Cassandra's attention. It was the mark of the Five.

"You're a hunter." She said.

"Well, not exactly." Giuliana plucked two champagne glasses from a passing waiter, handing one to Cassandra. "Come walk with me." The female hybrid kept up with Giuliana's pace as they walked through the multiple guests. "This town really loves its official gatherings." She sighed.

"It's tradition, I guess." Cassandra shrugged.

"I have to say, you've made a nice little home for yourself here in Mystic Falls." The two then walked along the tables on the lawn. "Especially with that delicious Salvatore brother." She purred with her eyes soaking up Damon as he spoke with Professor Shane.

Cassandra's jealousy was as green as the color of Giuliana's eyes. She saw her staring at her fiancé and she wanted to rip her eyes out. "I don't know if you've heard, Giuliana, but Damon and I are-"

"Engaged. Yes, I'm aware." Giuliana sipped her champagne. "Besides, I don't take what's not mine. Unless you were to let him off that really tight leash."

The female hybrid made a sound of distaste. "Why are you really here?"

"Alright. I can sum that up in just one word. Revenge." Giuliana stated.

"On who?" She asked warily.

"Klaus. He killed my brother, so naturally I'm out for blood." She growled.

Cassandra's brown eyes found the tattoo that was just covered up by the cuff on her jacket. "What about this mark?" She asked curiously.

"It doesn't work." Giuliana shook her head.

"What do you mean?"

"When Alexander was killed, I noticed that the mark he had transferred to me. It was a constant reminder of my brother." She recounted solemnly. "But I didn't fulfill the mark. I saw what it did to my brother. He killed any vampire without remorse and I didn't want to be that person."

"That person?" Cassandra questioned.

"When a potential hunter makes their very first vampire kill, the need and hunger to kill spreads through them like wildfire. It never goes away no matter what you do."

"So, Jeremy will feel the need to kill every vampire he comes across." She said.

"Including you, Damon, Caroline, Stefan and Elena as well."

"But, Elena is his sister."

Giuliana sighed, twirling her champagne glass. "It doesn't matter. In his eyes, a vampire is a vampire." Cassandra looked back to Elena who was chatting with Caroline about her crumbling relationship with Stefan; she could hear the entire conversation after all. Sure, she and Elena had an argument, but she would never wish for Jeremy to become this crazy vampire killer. "If you'll excuse me, Cassandra, I have some other guests I must be attending to." Giuliana walked past Cassandra, weaving her way through the crowd as Damon joined her side.

"Who was that?" He asked and looked after the woman that bared so much of a resemblance to his fiancé.

"One of my ancestors." Cassandra replied.

* * *

"Hello Niklaus." Giuliana greeted with a wry smile.

"Giuliana Ricci." He purred and kissed the back of her hand. "Long time no see, darling."

"Much too long." She stated and took a sip of her champagne. "I see you're still pining over one of my descendents. It's not becoming of a man your age."

Klaus gave the slightest snicker; she had always amused him with her quick wit. "I see you still have a smart mouth on you."

"Old habits die hard." She shrugged with a chuckle. Once again she found Klaus looking over at Cassandra who was speaking with Carol Lockwood. "You're wasting your time, Klaus. She doesn't love you anymore. She's moved on."

"Perhaps, but I have some information that can ruin everything." He smirked and looked back to Giuliana.

"And what information is that?" She asked curiously.

"I don't kiss and tell." The hybrid wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Huh, I recall you do too much kissing and not enough telling." Giuliana narrowed her eyes.

"Memory serves." He spoke.

"Hmm, why would you want the cure, Klaus?" She asked him seriously. "Clearly you're enjoying being an all powerful hybrid."

Klaus took it into consideration, he didn't really feel like baring his soul to a woman from his past, but she was asking, so he'd answer her. "Once I was on a trek in the Andies and a hummingbird flew up to me. It just hovered there, staring at me, its tiny little heart was pattering away like a machine gun. And I thought, what a thing, you know, to have to work that hard every day to stay alive. To be constantly on the verge of death and how satisfying every day must be that it survived. And that was the only time I thought about being human." Giuliana listened to every word, her dark green eyes softening with each passing moment. She knew that Klaus was a cold hearted killer ever since that night he killed her brother, but she felt sorry for anyone who had to live with that kind of loneliness.

"That's beautiful." She whispered. "Perhaps if showed Cassandra this side of you early on, you would have won her over."

* * *

Damon and Cassandra watched as Caroline announced the contestants for Miss Mystic Falls and their dates. Their dresses and hair were perfect as they met their dates on the dance floor. He hugged an arm around his fiancé's waist and kissed the shell of her ear as the couples moved into position to start their dance. The two were spooked that Jeremy wasn't here to escort April, but Matt quickly jumped in to save the day.

"Giuliana told me that Jeremy would kill any vampire he came across." She whispered quietly to him.

"I will snap his larynx if he looked at you the wrong way." Damon grunted in her ear.

"It doesn't help that Matt told us that he's having dreams of killing Elena and I." She mused and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"So much for today being a good day." The vampire grumbled to himself and took her hand. "Let's find Professor Shady." He chuckled.

They found the professor inside the Lockwood mansion, completely alone. "Oh, you two again." Shane laughed whole heartedly. "I must be the least intimidating mass murderer ever."

"Well, you still never gave me a name. And it's kind of urgent." Damon replied.

"Listen, there is no other name. Look, at any given moment there are five Hunters in existence, alright. Most of them have no idea who they are or what their purpose is. It means finding more than one in a lifetime is next to impossible." Shane then walked past the couple, but they both flashed to block his way out. "Subtle."

"Like you didn't already know." Cassandra smirked. "You have five seconds to give us another name or you die."

"You know, since it's generally unwise for a vampire to seek out a Hunter, it means you're interested in the mark. It's probably because of where it leads, but here's the thing, even if you complete the mark and you get the map, the thing that you're looking for is sealed with a spell only a certain kind of witch can perform."

"What kind of witch?" Damon asked.

"Come on, Damon." The professor prodded.

Cassandra gave her fiancé a quick nod of the head and Damon gripped Shane's wrist, squeezing it tightly. "You see, professor, my fiancé love pressure points." She sang and was now looking him straight in the face which was twisted up in pain. "I'll ask you again, what kind of witch?"

"Come on, you're a big girl, Cassandra. You can figure this one out." He gritted, pretty sure his wrist would be twisted clean off if Damon squeezed anymore.

Damon gave it a thought and finally the realization dawned on him. He practically answered his own question. "A Bennett witch."

Shane nodded, "Aren't too many of those lying around as I'm sure you know. So, none of this matters until Bonnie's back in touch with her magic and between the two of us, who do you think she trusts to help her get there?" Against his will, Damon released Shane from his grasp and the professor cradled his wrist. "Five seconds are up, unless you just realized you need me alive. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a scholarship to award." He walked past them and neither of them tried to stop him.

"Dammit, looks like we do need him alive." Cassandra pouted.

* * *

"We're missing the party." Caroline huffed. "What was so important that you needed to speak to me?"

Klaus rolled his eyes and handed her a glass of champagne. "I want to applaud you for successfully bashing Damon. Very bold of you considering Cassandra can rip your head off in a matter of seconds."

Caroline took the glass and downed it immediately, looking to Klaus to refill it from the bottle he held. "I speak my mind no matter what." She nodded.

"And I admire that." Klaus smirked.

"Don't try to charm me with champagne and a bashing session about Damon." The blonde vampire grumbled.

Klaus held his hands up in surrender, "I'm not, darling. I enjoy bashing the poor bloke as much as you do." He took sip from his own glass before refilling it again. "So, tell me. Why do you hate him so much?"

"He's an insensitive asshole who only cares about himself." Caroline replied heatedly.

"But he listens to Cassandra." The hybrid added.

"Ugh! He is always following whatever she says. I mean, they sometimes argue over conflicting opinions, but Damon is always up her ass! Today he told me that he liked the blue dress better on April, but as soon as he heard that Cassandra liked the red one better, he switched his opinion. It's like he listens to her and only her. His love for her is clouding his judgment and I don't like it." Klaus gave a little smirk, grinning like a cat that ate the canary and Caroline looked back at him curiously. "What's that look for?"

"It'll all make sense eventually." Klaus grinned.

* * *

Later on that night, Cassandra opened up the front door to reveal a very disgruntled Elena with bags hanging off her shoulders. She gave the hybrid a timid smile, shuffling her feet.

"I can't stay at home for now." She murmured and Cassandra sighed quietly. They'd all heard about Jeremy's outburst today at the pageant. He'd stabbed Elena, he was so blinded by his hatred towards vampires, that he tried to stake her.

"Come in, Elena." Cassandra beckoned and enveloped Elena in a tight hug which she gratefully returned.

"So, Jeremy is off the rails." Damon stated and Elena's eyes found the floor.

"Well, you can gladly stay here. We're happy to have another roommate." Cassandra consoled and helped Elena with her bags even though she was completely capable of handling it herself.

Stefan appeared in the doorway now, a bag over his shoulders as he and Elena stared back at one another. Elena smiled slightly, but he didn't even give her as much as a glance back. "Pick a room. I'll crash somewhere else." He said under his breath and left the boarding house.

Once a grim Elena was settled up in her room, the hybrid jogged down the steps to see Damon sitting patiently by the fireplace. He had a tumbler in his hand and was pouring bourbon in the glass along with a glass on the table.

"She's all tucked in?" Damon replied smartly.

"Yeah, she'd just upset about Stefan." Cassandra sighed and plopped down on the couch next to him. "Damn, today was a long day."

"Tell me about it." The vampire nodded and passed her a glass to which they both toasted one another.

"You know that dance at the pageant?" She asked and the he nodded, taking a sip. "I remember when we danced like that." Cassandra could recall every single detail about that magical night. Damon looked so handsome in his tailored suit. His white gloves felt like silk when he cupped her cheek. His blue eyes sparkled in the candle light and whenever he looked at her, she'd blush would dust her cheeks. He had eyes for her and only her that night.

"I do too." Damon nodded. His memory was just as good as Cassandra's, if not better. Her long ball gown would have swallowed any other woman who wore it, but she commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Her smile lit up the room and her laughter traveled on air like little tinkling bells.

_"Mr. Salvatore, you're dancing much too close to me." Cassandra giggled as her hands were outstretched while she danced._

_"I just cannot help myself, Miss Emerson. I want to be close to you." Damon replied_

_"That may be true, but you are not following the rules." She tisked as her eyes followed him._

_"Rules were meant to be broken." He smirked and brushed his hands against hers teasingly._

"I wanted to dance with you today." Cassandra smiled genuinely.

Damon gave a thoughtful look before downing the rest of his drink and placing it down on the table. He gingerly took Cassandra's glass, placing it down next to his and holding out his hand for her to take. "Come on," His voice was soft and inviting and Cassandra found herself gravitating toward him. Her small hand nestled in his and he pulled her up from the couch, leading her over to the fireplace. He took her in his arms, still keeping a hold on her hand and the other arm wrapping around her waist. Cassandra's other hand rested lazily on his shoulder as they rocked back and forth. She leaned her forehead against his so they were just brushing one another, making their dance more intimate. She loved dancing with Damon. Not only was he a talented dancer, Damon had a way of making her feel like she was the only woman in the world and like she was the only woman for him. He'd tell her that time and time again but there was something in the way he held her that cemented his truth.

_Settle down with me  
Cover me up  
Cuddle me in_

_Lie down with me  
And hold me in your arms_

"You looked so handsome today." She smiled. Damon Salvatore in a suit had to be one of the most tempting things on the face of the planet.

"And you were stunning as per your usual." He gave her a quick kiss.

The aura in the room was one of calm and serenity. For this one moment it was just the two of them alone with each other. The world and its problems melted away and all that could be heard was the rumble and crackle of the fire. Neither of them wanted this night to end. They just wanted to hold each other and forget about the cure and Shady Stefan and the Five, but Mystic Falls was the hotspot for supernatural occurrences, so they just cherished the moment they were in.

* * *

"Just promise me that you won't stop looking for the cure for Elena." Caroline spoke and placed a glass down in front of Stefan.

"Klaus won't let me even if I wanted to." Stefan muttered and drank; nearly finishing the entire glass, but Caroline was quick to refill it.

"But Klaus doesn't care. He doesn't even want it." The blonde sat down across from him, a glass in her own hands.

"He wants to keep Elena human so that he can make more hybrids." The green eyed vampire told her.

"And what if she doesn't want it? I mean, she and Cassandra are back to being buddy-buddy lately. She's growing into being a vampire nicely."

Stefan shrugged, not really sure of what to do anymore. "Elena will take the cure. I'm not giving it to my brother or Cassandra."

"Damon doesn't deserve it." Caroline spat rudely. "I'm sorry, Stefan. I know he's your brother, but Damon would do whatever he wants no matter what. He'd do whatever Cassandra says. If Cassandra told him to jump off a bridge, he'd do it."

"Those two are attached at the hip, Caroline. We can't do anything about that." He shook his head back and forth.

"They are the reason that Elena is in this mess." She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Right now, we just need to make sure that Klaus doesn't find out about the hybrids." Stefan told her.

"Hmm, well Klaus is going to need more hybrids since Tyler has been working on getting all of them un-sired." Caroline leaned back in her chair; she had kept Tyler's secret that he and Hayley were working against Klaus to help his hybrids break the sire bond. For some reason, her conversation with Klaus swirled around in her brain and she was suddenly sitting upright in the chair. "Oh my god." She pronounced each syllable as clear as a bell and Stefan was looking curiously back at her. "Oh. My. God."

* * *

Damon twirled Cassandra out before spinning her back in and they found themselves staring deeply into each other's eyes. Cassandra's hands were placed on his chest, her fingertips ghosting over the fabric of his shirt. Damon cupped the back of her neck, bringing her lips even closer to his but stopped just short of touching.

_And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed in my neck  
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet  
And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now  
__  
__Kiss me like you wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
This feels like falling in love  
Falling in love  
We're falling in love_

"Kiss me," She whispered and Damon didn't give it another thought. He connected their lips and they molded against one another's. His lips were intoxicating and addicting, she couldn't have just one kiss. Cassandra felt his tongue swiping back and forth over her bottom lip and she opened for him, allowing his tongue to tangle with hers. The hand that was resting against her neck slid back into her hair, pushing their lips closer together. Cassandra moaned quietly as he sucked firmly on her tongue, his teeth nibbling at certain points as well. Her hands worked at the buttons of his dress shirt, only getting to the first two when she was pinned against the wall near the fire place. Damon's body pressed firmly into hers, his arousal rubbing against her heated sex. His stern look communicated to her to keep still and not to move, she made a promise to herself that she'd oblige him until she saw it fit to switch things up.

_Settle down with me  
And I'll be your safety  
You'll be my lady_

_I was made to keep your body warm  
But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms_

* * *

Caroline was standing now; she was pacing up and down her living room floor. "I was trying to understand why Klaus was so intrigued by Damon and Cassandra. He said I would figure it out. This is what he was talking about."

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked, not really sure what the frantic blonde was getting at.

"Think about it. Every time something goes down, Damon and Cassandra always stick together." She said.

* * *

The tip of his index finger slowly traced the veins in her neck and he could hear each rush of blood as his finger ghosted over some particularly sensitive spots on her skin. Once he was finished, Damon then lowered his lips to her skin, following the same path his finger took. His lips, tongue, and even teeth toyed with her skin, giving her a little more of what she craved but it wasn't quite enough. Cassandra was panting now, trying to keep herself in check but she was losing control fast. Damon chuckled under breath; she was just so responsive to his touch. Pulling his lips away from her neck, he then moved finger to the swell of her breasts, pausing on occasion to run his nail over her collarbones. Damon bunched her shirt up, guiding it over her head and Cassandra remained still as per his request. The fabric dropped to the floor, forgotten and unimportant as Damon continued his teasing touches. Like before, his lips kissed his way over the top of each breast, working from left to right and then back again. His blue eyes flicked up to look at her and he smiled against her skin. Her head was leaned back against the wall, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. He had her in the palm of his hand. With a quick yank, Damon's sharp fangs ripped through the front clasp of her blue lace bra and it joined her discarded shirt. Cassandra gasped, surprised by the sudden rough movement but it only made her current arousal increase. He smirked up at her, a cheeky grin painting his lips as he grasped her right breast. His thumb torturously circled the hardening nub until it stood at a point. He repeated the same pleasurable treatment to her left breast, murmuring how perfect she was.

_Oh no  
My heart's against your chest, your lips pressed in my neck  
I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet  
And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now_

"God, Damon." She breathed and he smirked against her skin. His lips then closed around a peeking nipple, causing her back to arch up and a gasp to leave her throat. The tip of his tongue drew circles and shapes over the puckering skin as his other hand trailed down her stomach and reached the lace waistband of her panties. Using his blunt teeth, Damon grasped her nipple and tugged firmly just as his hand dipped beneath the flimsy fabric. She was warm, wet, and pulsing with desire. One long finger stroked against her clit, rubbing in slow, languid strokes. Cassandra was writhing now; his teeth firmly nibbled her nipple while he pleasured her with his hand. She reached a hand up to only try and grasp at something that would ground her to reality. Finding the edge of the fireplace, she flailed her hand against it before digging her nails into the wood just as Damon slid a finger inside her. His lips left her raw nipple and traveled to the other one, starting out with his tongue at first and then moving to biting. He rolled the flesh between his teeth while his lips closed around it, suckling roughly. She did feel his fangs come out to play and they scratched teasingly against her sore nipple. Another finger joined the already pumping one and then a third entered her heat. He curled them just so, and caressed her g-spot with the pads of his fingertips. Cassandra was beside herself, the coil in belly was tightening and she was sure that Elena was hearing everything that was happening. Damon, on the other hand, couldn't give a rat's ass if Elena was to walk in and see him with his hand buried inside her tight pussy.

_Kiss me like you wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
This feels like falling in love  
Falling in love  
We're falling in love_

Damon's fingers thrust all the way inside her before stilling and he chuckled against her nipple as she whined out that he had stopped. Instead of pumping his fingers, he just tapped against the swollen spot and Cassandra threw her head back against the wall. Eyes were screwed tightly shut and her lips parted as moans and profanities fell from them. Her pussy contracted around his fingers, closing so tight that she feared Damon might lose them and she was moving her hips against his hand. Damon added his thumb to the mix, pressing against her clit and Cassandra was sure she'd fall apart from the amount of pleasure that was surging through her body. Her g-spot was nearly ready to explode, it was filled to the brim with her succulent juices and Damon was more than ready to let the damn break. He looked up at her from her breasts, his vampire face in full force and it only turned Cassandra on more.

_Yeah I've been feeling everything  
From hate to love  
From love to lust  
From lust to truth  
I guess that's how I know you  
So I hold you close to help you give it up_

"Come for me, Cassandra." He whispered before slicing his sharp fangs into her right breast. Cassandra flew over the edge of her orgasm; her body shook wildly as Damon's fingers continued to work her into oblivion. She screamed her lovers name over and over again as her came. Slick juices ran down her thighs, drenching Damon's hand and the floor beneath them as well. Unlatching his fangs from her skin, he stared up at Cassandra, her eyes were still closed and her lips were still parted as she panted. He licked a trail up the side of her neck, humming at the taste her blood mixed with the salt of her sweat. Cassandra shivered against him and let out a little moan. Their eyes finally met and Damon nudged his nose against hers. She smiled sweetly but pouted as his fingers left her sex. He brought them to his lips, suckling a lone finger into his mouth; all the while his eyes were watching her. She leaned forward and licked the back of his hand where some juices had dribbled before swirling her tongue around a wet finger. Unable to control himself any longer, Damon's lips crashed on Cassandra's, she was still shaken up from her orgasm, but she quickly felt that inner fire burning once more.

_So kiss me like you wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
This feels like falling in love  
Falling in love  
We're falling in love_

* * *

"Cassandra likes the red dress. Damon likes the red dress." The vampire spoke.

"Whenever Cassandra tells Damon to do something, Damon does it." Stefan added. He was now right on the same page as Caroline.

"You even said, it's like they're joined at the hip." She was slowly piecing everything together. "It's rare, but it happens. What if this is one of those times?"

* * *

Damon suddenly found himself naked and pushed down to his mattress, on his back with Cassandra sitting atop his hips. She was naked too and Damon didn't even want to entertain the thought on how she got rid of their clothes so quickly, he just wanted to be inside her. They were a tangle of limbs on his large bed, each trying to establish dominance before the other would roll them beneath them. Cassandra swiveled her hips once he filled her, she bounced atop her vampire lover as he reached his hands behind him to grab the pillows, squeezing them tightly. Her fingers skimmed over his skin, sending the writhing vampire into overdrive. He abruptly leaned up, cradling her warm body closer to his and kissing her passionately. Their lips moved wildly over one another's, teeth biting at tongues playing. Damon's teeth caught her bottom lip yanking and dragging it through his teeth as Cassandra's fingers found his hair, tugging it as well. In a quick rush, Cassandra's back hit the mattress and it was now Damon's turn to smirk down at her. His hips snapped forward and Cassandra held onto his biceps in fear of her head being put through the headboard. Her nails dug into the skin and muscle, making Damon groan, but they were silenced when she gently kissed from his shoulder down to his forearm. Her coil suddenly tightened again and she clung to him. Damon must have noticed it, so his thrusts became harder and more desperate to reach his release and hers. Hushed moans filled the room as legs and arms tangled around each other. In one last effort to regain control, Cassandra flipped Damon over and ground against him. The vampire was too blinded by lust to fight her on it, so he thrust upward into her, meeting the rushed movements of her hips.

_Kiss me like you wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved_

* * *

"But, Katherine's blood made Damon and I. Why would he be so close to Cassandra to do everything she says?" Stefan asked rationally.

"What if it was a fluke? What if somehow, Cassandra's blood was in Damon's system when he was shot?" It was a far reach, but that was the only thing that made sense. "It's the only explanation."

"She was a vampire before either of us was. And she would visit Damon all of the time." The vampire was now staring at the very possibility that his brother was a part of something that he was unaware of.

"What if this is really happening and neither of them know it?" Caroline asked.

"Damon is sired to Cassandra."

* * *

Simultaneously, their coils snapped and their orgasms crashed over them with no mercy. Blood rushed through their veins, muscles contracted and relaxed, moans erupted in the night, and bodies writhed as they held onto one another, afraid of letting go. Pleasure overwhelmed them, but it warmed them from the tops of their heads to the tips of their toes. No other person could make them feel like this, that the very world around them was gone, but there was still someone to cling to. Cassandra crested above while Damon shuddered into the crook of her neck. Their pants echoed in the room as they came down from their highs and settled down on one another. The hybrid was sure that she was squishing her vampire, but she was much too tired to move. Her limbs were pleasantly numb and her head was resting on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. Damon's fingers found her damp hair and he stroked through it softly, making her hum to herself. He was slack as he lay beneath her, not caring about anything else but the fact that she was with him, in his bed, in his arms, and in his heart.

_This feels like falling in love  
Falling in love  
We're falling in love_

* * *

**Oh God, lay it on me. Please be patient with me, I've got some plans in store for the lovely couple.**

**Please review :)**


	9. We'll Always Have Bourbon Street

**Hello my lovely readers! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I am beyond overjoyed that you liked the last chapter even though I threw in quite a plot twist. Thank you so, so much for all of the amazing reviews! They make me smile :)**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

Bright rays of sunlight played over the silk sheets and the vampire wrapped in them. The room was silent with only Damon's soft snores to interrupt it. The sleeping vampire turned over on his pillow, reaching for Cassandra's warm body, but he was met with empty space. His eyes cracked open, eyeing her empty spot. "Cassandra?" He called tiredly and looked around his bedroom.

"Hi." Her voice came from the doorframe by the bathroom. She was leaning casually against it dressed in one of Damon's button down shirts and nothing else.

"What are you doing all dressed up?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

Cassandra bit her bottom lip and winked coyly at him. She ran and jumped onto the bed, bouncing up and down on the mattress. She giggled as Damon's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. "Well, I was going to take Elena to school today, but…" She looked down at the imaginary watch on her wrist. "She's still sleeping so we have some time to kill."Cassandra cupped his cheeks and kissed him firmly, her tongue snuck out to run along his bottom lip and Damon took it in between his teeth and bit it teasingly. She squealed quietly and pulled back, pouting and narrowing her eyes while Damon just smiled lovingly at her. His crystalline eyes traced over each and every inch of her, peering into her soul. "What's that face?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What face?" He shrugged innocently and played with a lock of her mused hair. Damon continued to look dreamily at her and Cassandra giggled.

"That face." She poked his cheek and Damon took her hand, kissing the tip of her finger.

"I'm happy." Damon smiled and Cassandra did too. Their lips connected in a passionate kiss and Damon ran his fingers through her hair.

* * *

"This is a disaster!" Caroline ran her hands through her blonde hair as she paced around her living room.

Stefan watched her, his green eyes following back and forth. "Look, we don't know anything for sure."

"Guys! What was so important that I had to rush over here?" The baby vampire asked. "All I got was an urgent text with no explanation. Damon and Cassandra were still sleeping when I left."

The blonde vampire stopped her pacing, "To catch you up, Damon is sired to Cassandra!"

"Wait! What?" Elena scoffed.

"Which means his one singular burning desire is to make her happy, just like Klaus and his hybrids!" She continued, ignoring Elena's outburst.

Stefan shook his head. "No, it's not a disaster, Caroline. A vampire sired to another vampire is one in a million. Maybe it won't affect him the same way."

* * *

Cassandra pushed him down into the mattress, straddling his hips and pressing her lips against his neck. She kissed down his muscled chest and ran her tongue over his hipbones before reaching his thick erect cock which was standing at attention. She made quick fleeting laps with her tongue, toying with him. Her hands ran over his chest while her mouth was puckering its lips against his head. Damon's hands grabbed hers, squeezing her fingers as her touch became more prominent on his cock. Her tongue swirled around the base, curling around it only to tap against it. She trapped his leaking head between her lips and suckled his pre come, moaning at the divine taste of him. Ever so slowly, Cassandra slid her lips downward, engulfing his entire cock until it was completely down her throat. Her nose nudged his pubic bone as she bobbed up and down on his cock.

* * *

"We already know it's affecting him He's become Cassandra's lapdog." Caroline spat and Stefan gave her a look. "It's true! Everything she says, he agrees with. Everything she asks him to do... he does."

"But, they love each other, Caroline. You do crazy things for the person you love." Elena stated and gave a solemn look to Stefan who returned it.

* * *

In a quick blur of motion, Cassandra was on her back and Damon's lips played over her belly. His tongue dipped inside her bellybutton, licking and sucking before continuing further down her body. Her dripping core was naked before him, not even a shred of lace or frill to hide it from his hungry eyes. A puff of air was blown over her exposed clit and Cassandra jumped in her spot. Damon's hands held her hips firmly before diving into her moist pussy. His mouth suckled her juices while his tongue thrust inside her warm walls. The hybrid moaned and writhed, her back arching and her toes curling. That mouth of his was heaven and his hands too. He knew how to make her fall apart like it was no one's business and she'd happily turn into a pool of hot lust and desire for him. Deciding to heat things up even more, Damon lightly nibbled her clit and smirked against her dripping lips seeing her buck wildly.

* * *

Caroline pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts. "We need to do something."

Stefan quickly stood and placed a firm hand on her wrist. "Wait, no, hold on Caroline. This isn't gossip. You can't just spread this around before we know what's happening for sure."

"I need to talk to Tyler, okay? Maybe he'll know what to do." Caroline yanked her hand away and dialed her hybrid beau.

"Alright, talk to Tyler, but please don't tell anyone else. If this is true, then it may have influence on Damon's every action and emotion since he became a vampire." The vampire replied and Caroline placed the phone to her ear, leaving Stefan and Elena to talk on their own.

"But, I thought Katherine's blood turned Damon." She speculated.

"That's what I thought, but when Cassandra was turned, she'd often visit Damon. She missed him so much and that sense of longing as a vampire was too much for her to handle. So, she'd sneak out at night and come to our house." Stefan replied.

"So, you think that somehow, Damon had Cassandra's blood in his system when he died?" Elena asked.

"That's what we're thinking." He sighed. This was all speculation at this point. They really had no proof that Cassandra's blood turned Damon.

* * *

His teasing was torturous, bringing her to the blissful edge of release only to yank it away from her. She begged and pleaded for him to push her just a little farther, but all he did was smirk and flash those sharp fangs of his before going back to work between her legs. With her frustration reaching its breaking point, Cassandra wound her hands in Damon's lush, black locks and tore him away from her pussy. His lips and chin were shimmering with her juices and she smashed his lips onto hers, while still keeping a tight grip on his hair.

"Fuck me, Damon." She purred against his lips before taking his earlobe in between her teeth and yanking roughly. The vampire groaned above her and pulled his hips back all the way. He held her gaze and in one quick snap, he buried himself inside her. The hybrid's legs encircled his hips, pressing the balls of her feet against his firm behind. He filled her to the brim and Cassandra's eyes rolled into the back of her head at the incredible sensation. His hands fisted the dress shirt she wore and tore it off her body, tossing the shredded shirt and buttons to the floor.

"You were wearing too much clothing." Damon murmured into her neck, his teeth biting at her skin. She giggled, but that turned into a string of moans as his thrusts snapped quickly inside her wet walls. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, clinging to him tightly. His tongue licked up the shell of her ear as he cradled her warm body close to his. Chest to chest, nose to nose they were pressed tightly together and they became one. He erupted inside her and she clenched around him. Cassandra's sharp nails dug into his back and sliced down his skin, starting at his shoulder blades and working down to his lower back. The vampire groaned aloud and Cassandra smirked widely at him. The skin split, trails of blood ran down his back and stained the wrinkled sheets beneath them. She whimpered as the last spurts of his come spilled inside her and her walls relaxed their grip on his softening cock. Damon's skin healed over perfectly, not a scratch in sight, but the blood remained on him and under Cassandra's nails. He leaned down to kiss her lips softly, it was such a change from their animalistic love making, but they could change like that on a dime and it was just the way they were.

* * *

The pair bounded down the steps arm in arm, giggling and laughing along the way. Things for them right now were just too good for them. Damon scooped up Cassandra's pocketbook and passed it to her. "Bag?"

"I got it." She smiled and yelled up the steps. "Elena! I'm ready!"

"Scarf." Damon took her scarf from the coat rack and wrapped it around Cassandra's neck.

"What - oh!" She was quickly pulled into him and his lips pressed intimately against hers. It was a sweet kiss, making them both smile, but Cassandra slowly leaned back."Damon,"

"No. No, no, no. Don't ruin it." He placed a finger to her lips, tapping his fingertips against it.

Cassandra gripped his wrist and moved it away from her lips. "But, I said that I'd drive Elena to school."

"She can drive herself." Damon groaned.

"Damon..."

"Cassandra..." He deadpanned.

"I'm coming right home as soon as I drop her off." She promised and Damon seemed to be somewhat pleased.

"Fine."

"Thank you." She kissed him soundly, hoping to appease him. "I love you."

Damon smiled at her lovingly. "Love you."

Cassandra opened the door to see Elena standing there, looking quite baffled. The two girls looked at each other; Cassandra swore that Elena was still in her room.

"Hi." Elena shifted awkwardly on her feet. She didn't think that she'd run into Damon and Cassandra when she came home.

"Hey, I thought I was taking you to school today?" She asked.

"Yeah! Sorry about the late notice, but I bummed a ride with Caroline." The teen replied with a somewhat convincing smile.

"Oh. How is Miss Mystic Bitch?" Cassandra asked snidely and she could see that her comment made the baby vampire uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, Elena, but she really pissed me off yesterday."

"It's okay. I understand." She nodded even though she still looked hurt that Cassandra and Caroline were feuding. The trio waited in silence for a while, each of them exchanging glances with one another, none of them knowing what to say.

"So...what are you doing back here?" The hybrid raised an eyebrow.

Elena was suddenly standing up straight."Oh! I, uhm, I forgot my history book. This new history teacher isn't as forgiving as Ric was." It was a lie, a really bad lie, but a lie nonetheless. She could see that Damon twinged slightly at the mention of Ric's name and his fiancé squeezed his hand comfortingly.

Cassandra nodded, "Okay, just grab your book and I'll drive you back to school."

"Sure." The vampire used her human speed to walk past them and up the steps.

Once the baby vampire was out of earshot, Damon muttered, "I still think she should drive herself."

* * *

"Listen, we need to talk." Those four words came out of Stefan's mouth and the couple already knew that something was up. Stefan had told Damon and Cassandra everything about what he and Caroline had discovered about the sire bond. They were now sitting on the couch, Stefan on one side while Damon and Cassandra sat side by side facing him.

"Sired? Really, Stefan? That is the most pathetic nonsense I've ever heard come out of your mouth, and you've said some crap in your day. Besides, Katherine's blood turned me and that would mean I would be sired to her, but I'm not because I never loved her."

"Is that what you and Caroline have been doing all last night? Gossiping?" Cassandra growled.

Stefan knew that they would react this way, but he had to speak his peace. "But, what if it wasn't Katherine who turned you. You always said that Cassandra would come and visit you all the time. It could have very well been her blood in your system. You can't deny that."

"Sure I can. I'm finally in a good place and I'm happy with Cassandra. You two idiots can't stand that I'm happy." He snapped.

"Last I checked, Stefan, a sire bond only happens between hybrids." Cassandra told him.

Stefan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But we're thinking that there is a vampire/hybrid equivalent."

"Thinking? Thinking?!" Damon hollered, standing now.

Cassandra stood too, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder."Damon, please calm down."

"Yes, brother. Why don't you calm down?" Stefan chortled.

"No, don't tell me to calm down! I shouldn't have to explain myself on this and neither does Cassandra." His brother sneered and shoved Stefan's shoulder as he walked past him.

Cassandra watched him leave and frowned, "Stefan, you really believe this?"

"Of course I do. My brother has been different ever since he became a vampire and I think it's because your blood turned him and not Katherine's." Stefan told her.

"Can't you just leave it as we love each other? Must you always complicate things?" She hissed heatedly.

"All right. You know what? Prove me wrong." The vampire reasoned and Cassandra scoffed.

"What do you suggest I do, big shot?"

"Look, just ask Damon to do something. Anything. I would make it extreme, so you can see how severe this bond problem is."

"Like what? Ask him to stab himself?" She was trying to keep herself calm, but Stefan was really playing on her last nerve.

"Make sure you'll tell him how happy you'll be if it works, and if I'm wrong, I'll be the first to apologize." Stefan spoke.

"When your little theory of yours falls apart, which it will, your apology better be epic." She spat and pushed past him, hoping to find Damon and blow off some extra steam.

* * *

"Do we really have to do this?" Cassandra bellyached as she leaned against a tree in the forest just off the Salvatore property.

Damon nodded, "Of course we do. We need to prove to Stefan that we are not bound to each other in anyway."

"Okay, what should I ask you to do? Stefan said to make it extreme, so..." She suddenly trailed off seeing that Damon had pulled a stake out of the back pocket of his jeans. "No! No way! I'm not doing this!"

"But you have to, Cass. Just think how amazing it will be to prove my brother wrong. Just tell me to stake myself and we'll ride off into the sunset." He told her and she somewhat agreed with him.

Cassandra looked down at the stake and then back at Damon, she hated to have to do this, but she had to ask Damon to do something really unbelievable in order to see if they were really bound together. "I can't believe I'm asking you to do this. Okay, uhm, I want you stake me instead."

Damon's blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "What?"

She stepped forward and grasped the stake that was in his hands. She placed and tip against her skin so it was resting right at her heart. This was a drastic time and it called for desperate measures. "I _want_ you to stake me right in the heart, Damon. Do it."

The vampire heard her words and wanted to smack her for asking him to do something so stupid, but he found himself repeating the command in his head. _I want you to stake me right in the heart._ He was now struggling with himself on what to do. He knew that staking Cassandra was wrong in every way possible, but she was _asking_ him to do it.

* * *

"_I talked to Tyler."_ Caroline spoke into the receiver of her cell phone.

"And?" Stefan asked.

"_The sire bond exists because the hybrids are grateful to Klaus for relieving them from the pain of having to wolf out every full moon, and that's why they have to turn until they're not ruled by the pain anymore."_ She told him.

"Right, but Damon's not a werewolf and Cassandra is a hybrid. So, what's the vampire/hybrid equivalent?"

Caroline let out a deep sigh. _"Well, that's the problem. There isn't one."_

Stefan didn't respond, upset that his brother was stuck being sired to Cassandra. He hung up the phone, not giving a reply and shuffled into the living room to see Damon rifling through some old boxes while Cassandra sat on the couch sipping from a blood bag. The scene looked normal except for the fact that there was a bright red blood stain on her shirt.

"Woah, what happened there?" He pointed to her shirt.

"You _did_ say to make it extreme." The hybrid growled and picked at the bloodied fabric.

"I'm sired. You were right, I was wrong. Happy?" Damon grumbled as he pushed some items aside.

Stefan looked back to Cassandra who hadn't said a word. "No, I'm not happy. But what are we gonna do about it?"

"Well, I'm working on it." The vampire took up a picture and handed it to his brother. "Here. Remember that?"

"New Orleans." He noted.

"1942, to be exact." Damon spoke.

"What was in New Orleans in 1942?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Other than bourbon and beads...us, Stefan." The blue eyed vampire smirked.

Stefan nodded and took up an old hat, fiddling with it. "Oh yeah. What was the name of that girl you used to hang out with?"

"That was Charlotte. I turned her and she was then sired to me. She kinda took everything literally. One time I told her to show no mercy to anyone who touched my drink at the bar. Well, to make a long story short, a guy spilled my drink and she snapped his neck." Damon sighed.

"She was sired to you, and I can only assume you took full advantage of that until you got bored of her, right?" Stefan quipped and Damon rolled his eyes.

"More like when she went all 'Fatal Attraction' on me, then I had to make a clean break." Damon explained.

"How'd you do that?" He inquired. In a huff, Cassandra eased herself off the couch and meandered over to a box that was perched on the coffee table. She swiped up an aged piece of paper and handed it to Stefan and he took it, reading the sloppy hand writing. _'VALARIE LAMARCHE, 920 DAUPHINE ST.'_

"Who's Valerie LaMarche?" The vampire eyed the address.

"The witch that I found to help me break little Charlotte's sire bond. Pack your bags, baby bro. We're going back to Bourbon Street." Damon stood and took Cassandra's hand, leading them out of the room.

* * *

"New Orleans still looks the same." Cassandra smiled as she walked down the crowded streets. "Just like I remember."

"Have you been back here since '42?" Damon asked his brother.

"Nope, not since I shipped off to join the war effort and you didn't." Stefan recalled.

"Somebody had to entertain the ladies who had been left by their men folk." The blue eyed vampire smirked.

"On that note," Cassandra interjected. "I'm still sore from when you stabbed me, so I'm gonna go find lunch. I'll meet up with you guys." Both brothers watched her leave and Damon frowned visibly.

"How's she taking this?" Stefan wondered.

Damon shook his head as he continued to keep up his pace with his brother as they weaved in and out of the partiers in the New Orleans streets. "Not well, Stefan."

"Clearly," He sighed dramatically. "So, you think this witch can help you?"

"I certainly hope so because I hate seeing her like this." He looked crestfallen. "Look, uh, when she asked me to stake her today, I felt the same kind of feeling I did back in 1942."

Stefan raised a curious eyebrow. "What happened?"

_Damon watched intently as Cassandra argued with a young sailor in the bar. She was wearing a tight powder blue dress with a skirt that flared out below the knee. Her face was perfectly put together, her bright red lipstick un-smudged. Her curls were pinned up elegantly, much like how most of the ladies wore their hair in the forties. He could see that the muscles in her face were getting tense as she battled with this punk, but he seemed to enjoy that she was getting riled up. He took another sip from his drink, his blue eyes peering over the rim of the glass as he continued to listen._

_"C'mon, sweetheart. Make a sailor happy before he goes off to war." He jeered and grabbed Cassandra's behind roughly._

_"Stop it!" Cassandra shoved him back, spilling his drink all over him. The only thing that was stopping her from killing this guy was the fact that they were in a public place._

_"Ahh, you're a feisty one." He smirked. "I like it when they put up a fight."_

_Cassandra slapped him across the face, her nails raking along his cheek. "You're a pig!"_

_The sailor's head jerked to the right and she could spy her red scratches healing on his cheek. So this guy was a vampire as well. He pulled her against him, holding her wrist in a tight grip. "I like it when you talk dirty, baby." The sailor smiled deviously, exposing a pair of sharp fangs._

_A firm hand on the sailor's shoulder made him flinch a little. "I believe the little lady said no." Damon's gruff voice made Cassandra's eyes widen. Why was he even interfering?_

_"Who the hell are you?" He sneered._

_"Damon, I'm fine." Cassandra waved him off._

_"Yeah, buddy. We're just talking." The sailor draped an arm around Cassandra's shoulder, Damon smacked his hand away. The vampire closed in on him, standing nose to nose with him._

_Damon gave the smaller man a smirk, how dare he try to make a move on Cassandra when he was standing right there. He felt as if this baby vampire punk was trying to take something of his and he wouldn't let him. "Don't touch her." Damon growled and twisted his wrist, making him cry out in pain._

_"Stop that!" Cassandra hissed and immediately Damon let go of him, but snapped his neck in a matter of seconds. His body crumpled and Cassandra caught it, propping it up against her to make it look like he had too much to drink. "What is wrong with you?"_

_Damon visibly flinched, his expression shifting from one of pride to one of ashamed. "He was bothering you. I thought you'd be happy that I got rid of him for you." He told her._

_Cassandra's face softened lightly, "Thank you, Damon, but I can take care of myself."_

"That was a clue." Damon spoke. "I felt like this other vampire was swooping in on something that belonged to me. I thought that it was because we were good friends and ex-lovers, but this was strong, Stef."

"You felt like you had to protect her?" His brother questioned.

Damon nodded and looked up at all of the old buildings that were such reminders to him. "And I wanted to make her happy that I was protecting her. Well, she got mad and that feeling of letting her down was the worst. It made me want to sulk out of the bar with my tail between my legs."

"So, that's a sire bond, Damon. Klaus's hybrids feel the same pull. They live to make him happy." He told him and heard Cassandra coming up from behind them. Damon nudged his brothers shoulder to make sure to keep quiet.

"Hey, feeling better?" He asked her.

"Yeah, a little. You did a number on me." Her tone was light and joking even though Damon couldn't bring himself to laugh at what he'd done. "So, I paid a visit to the address on the paper and it's no good. Val doesn't live there anymore."

"A dead end." Stefan sighed. "Wait, do you think that Charlotte could still be in New Orleans?"

Damon shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, maybe."

"Where was the last place you saw her?" He asked his brother.

"Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine. Kind of told her to count every brick in every building in New Orleans, and I'd meet her at the corner. I was gone by morning." Damon spoke.

"Ugh, are we seriously going to look for her? That could be another dead end." Cassandra groaned and Stefan looked up at the street signs before walking away from the couple."Where you going?"

"Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine. See how literal the sire bond is." The vampire replied and they followed him.

"Well, here we are." Cassandra announced as the trio reached their destination. "Where is that loon?"

"There's no way she's gonna be in the same spot after seventy years." Damon remarked.

"Told you that this would be another dead end." She mumbled under her breath.

Damon wrapped an arm around her waist, "So, let's go get a drink and regroup." They all turned the corner and moseyed on down the dark streets. They must have been on the bad side of town because it wasn't as populated as the streets that they walked on before. In fact, it wasn't populated at all. A rush of air around them made them all whip around to see that no one was in the alley with them.

"What the hell?" Cassandra murmured.

Suddenly, a black shadow tackled Damon to the ground and the other two were quick to act. Stefan threw the female vampire off his brother before helping him to his feet and Cassandra pounced on her. "What the hell just happened?" Stefan asked.

"She kissed me." Damon replied and looped his arms around Cassandra's pulling her off Charlotte.

"Ouch, that really hurt." The female vampire stood on shaky legs and both brothers could see an ugly wolf bite on the side of her neck.

Stefan looked disapprovingly back at Cassandra who swiped a drop of blood off her lips with her thumb. "Cassandra..."

"Oh, so what? I bit her!" She defended. "Damon is sired to me, but he's still my fiancé, so this chick had it coming to her."

"Damon, I always knew you'd come back for me. I must have counted literally every brick on every building in all of New Orleans." Charlotte's voice was laced with hope and longing even though the hybrid poison was infecting her.

"Literally every brick?" Stefan asked.

"Uh, Charlotte." Damon interjected. "Please tell me you had a full life and that you've done something other than counting bricks."

"Of course I have. I'm not crazy." The vampire replied and Cassandra had to roll her eyes and scoff.

"No, she's not crazy. Not at all." She joked.

"Then why are you still here?" The green eyed vampire raised an eyebrow.

"You know when someone breaks up with you and there's a song that reminds you of them. First, you hate it." She looked to Damon who was as uncomfortable as ever but she just smiled back at him. "But then it brings back all the good memories of them. Counting the bricks is my song and I've been playing it for decades."

"That's a really long time stuck listening to the same song." Stefan remarked dryly.

"Damon, I've missed you so much." She took one step towards him and was met with the sharp, snarling fangs of Cassandra.

"Back off, you little tart." Cassandra snapped her teeth.

"Damon, who is this?" Charlotte asked timidly.

"I'm his fiancé." The hybrid bit back.

"F-fiancé?" The female vampire stammered and looked between Damon and Cassandra. "I thought you loved me?"

"Well, Damon's moved on to better things. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news." Cassandra pouted dramatically.

"But...I waited for you all this time." She whimpered and Damon decided to step in before Cassandra ripped her to shreds.

"Well you know, in the plus column, you know New Orleans better than anyone in the world. Which is really nice because we need your help finding someone." He spoke to her and she smiled back, but it was followed by a frown as she touched her bite mark which was badly infected. "We need to heal you first." The vampire looked to Cassandra, giving her a pointed look.

She made a sound of distaste and split her wrist. "Fine." She shoved the bleeding wound to Charlotte's lips and she drank in little sips. Once she'd had enough, Cassandra yanked her wrist back and mumbled to herself about how if Charlotte were to die, she's be put out of her misery.

"We're looking for a witch." Stefan told her and the girl babbled off directions as to where the old shop was located. Charlotte trailed behind them until Cassandra's hand on her upper arm made her halt.

"Listen, doll face. I suggest you get back to counting bricks. Leave Damon alone or else I will rip your spine out your ass." Cassandra growled and Charlotte backed away, sitting on a stoop and started counting to herself.

* * *

Charlotte's directions led them to an old shop not far from where she was playing her cryptic song of counting bricks. The shop in town looked like a complete dump from the outside. Shutters were nearly rusted shut and the bricks looked worn away. This had to be the place where a witch would work, it was almost too perfect. The trio walked inside, the door creaking on the hinges even sounded creepy as it knocked against a bell at the top of the door frame A dark skinned woman emerged from the back of the shop and approached the counter.

"Can I help you?"

"Hi. We're looking for a witch. Sorry, no time for pleasantries." Damon tapped his fingertips against the glass surface of the counter impatiently.

The woman raised an eyebrow and seemed taken aback by his bluntness. "I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"Look.." He trailed off as his gaze landed on a board behind her that read "Nandi Special". "Nandi, is it? Let's skip the part where you pretend like you don't know what we're talking about. We need a spell that could break a vampire sire bond. Now, there was a witch here named Val. Ring any bells?"

"She was my great-grandmother." Nandi replied proudly.

"She had a grimoire and it had a spell that required the sacrifice of twelve human souls." He spoke and Stefan was sure that Cassandra's eyes popped out of their sockets.

"A sacrifice? You brought us here knowing that the spell required a human sacrifice." Cassandra hissed quietly.

"Well, I was hoping the recipe had changed." Damon shrugged nonchalantly.

"Look, there's no magic like that here. I sell herbs and homeopathic remedies and dress it up with a little witchy-woo-woo for the tourists, but I don't practice." Nandi explained.

"Okay, fine, listen, just tell us where we can find someone like your great-grandma who can break the sire-bond and won't flake out on us like old Val did."

"There's no one." The dark woman shook her head. "All of her stuff is gone. The grimoires, her journals. We lost it all during Katrina. If a spell like that ever existed, it's gone for good."

Cassandra stepped forward now, "Please, Nandi. We need this spell."

"I don't wish to speak about such things anymore. You will leave my shop." She commanded and stormed to the back of the shop.

* * *

Damon grumbled to himself as he kicked some pebbles down the street. "Witch is lying. Doesn't practice magic, my ass."

"Human sacrifice? Did you really think I would go for this?" Cassandra asked seriously as she happened to see Charlotte still sitting where she had left her and she was counting bricks as if it was the most sane thing to do.

Damon scoffed, "Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures."

"Did you kill those twelve people in 1942?" Stefan asked.

"Absolutely, I did, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it means that this weird bond is broken and Cassandra and I can go back to living out lives." The vampire answered truthfully.

Stefan and Cassandra looked back at Nandi's shop, "Hmm."

"Are you gonna help me good cop/bad cop this witch or not?" Damon smirked.

Nandi huffed as she was doing some inventory on some herbs she'd stored in the back room when she felt a familiar presence behind her. She knew that it was that blue eyed vampire again, he was just asking for trouble. The dark skinned woman turned to see Damon standing right where she knew he would be. "What are you doing here?"

"Calling you out." Damon replied. "You're not Val's great-granddaughter. You're her daughter." He knew that he recognized her name from somewhere. When he visited Val, he remembered a little girl who held a strong resemblance to Val sitting at a table and scribbling in her notebook. He'd happened to peer over and see that the girl was scrawling her name across the page._ Nandi_. "You're eighty years old. You don't look a day over fifty. You're a practicing witch."

Nandi was fully aware that she was caught red handed, but she wouldn't let Damon ensnare her. "Get out of my store." She ordered and Damon sent her a sly smirk.

"Give me what I want." He started to walk towards her but Nandi used her powers to give Damon an aneurysm. Damon let out a groan and fell to the ground clutching his head with both hands.

"I gave you a chance to leave with your life." Nandi threatened and glared at the writhing vampire. Suddenly, Cassandra and Stefan left their hiding posts and came into sight.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! We don't want any trouble, okay? We just...we just need your help. That's all." Cassandra begged desperately and held her hands up to show Nandi that she meant no harm.

Nandi looked at the hybrid woman before her for a moment and stopped Damon's spell. "I told you there's no one here who can help you. The kind of magic my mother practiced, it's unnatural. Witches don't even call it magic. We call it expression."

Stefan aided his brother in getting up off the ground. "Is that like black magic?"

"Worse. Channeling the power of human sacrifices calls on darkness that can't exist on this plane without swallowing it whole. She sold you a bill of goods about breaking the sire bond because she wanted access to that power and you gave it to her when you killed those twelve people." She told Damon and cringed that her mother could be so selfish as to kill people for power.

"Are you saying there's no spell?" Cassandra asked.

Nandi looked between the two bound beings, she could clearly see that Cassandra's blood did indeed turn her vampire lover. Although what Cassandra did was unintentional, Damon was bound to her because his love and loyalty to her was so strong. Her dark eyes settled on the two vampire brothers and she jerked her head towards the door. "You two can leave now." She commanded and Damon was ready to rebut, but Stefan took him by the arm and escorted him outside. Nandi moved closer to Cassandra who gave a nervous glance out the shop window to see the Salvatore brothers walking down the street. "The bond can't be broken with magic. A vampire only bonds to his sire when he has feelings for her before he turns, human feelings. Vampirism only heightens those emotions. You want him free?" The witch stepped up to Cassandra, looking her straight in the eye. The hybrid nodded and hoped that Nandi had an answer for her. "You have to set him free. Tell him to live his life without you and never think of you again, to stop caring about you, and then leave him. That's the only way around the sire bond."

Cassandra's face immediately dropped, her chest deflating as the instructions for breaking the sire bond set in. She had to let Damon go? That's what she to do? Sadness tugged at her heart strings and she turned on her heel, bolting from the shop and out onto the street.

"Cass! What happened?" Damon rushed after her and she whistled for a taxi. She hopped in and shut the door before the vampire could get to her and the bright yellow cab took off with great haste.

"Why'd she leave?" Stefan finally caught up with his brother.

"I don't even know." Damon shook his head and pulled out his phone.

As soon as the cab door slammed shut, Cassandra let herself break down. She couldn't believe that she had come to New Orleans to find the answers for breaking the sire bond and they resulted in setting the love of her life free. She wiped her tears and cleared her voice enough to let the driver know where he was headed but after that, the tears came again. Her phone buzzed frantically in her pocket with a call from Damon and she ignored it, letting go to her voicemail. She just couldn't tell him the truth. She wasn't sure she could even repeat it. A quick buzz made her pull her phone out and place it in her lap, the block letters burning into her mind.

_Call me. What happened?_

With skilled and nimble fingers, she typed back a reply and shut her phone off, leaving it in her lap. She didn't want to speak to anyone right now.

Damon growled and lowered the phone from his ear as he called Cassandra again to only be greater with her cheery voicemail.

"She's still not answering you?" Stefan asked and Damon shook his head. A buzz in his hand made him look down and read the text he'd just received.

_Ask the witch._

"Dammit." Damon grumbled under his breath and ran back into Nandi's shop. "What witchy bull shit did you tell her?" He demanded and slammed his fist down on the counter.

"I gave her the answer to her question. It's not my doing that the answer was not favorable." The witch replied as she organized some herbs.

"What did you tell her?" Each word was laced with venom as he grew more and more irate. Stefan had joined him now and he could practically hear him saying to calm down even though no words were coming out of his mouth.

Nandi stopped her work with a huff and stepped around the counter. "I will tell you, but what do you remember about the night you died?" The question caught both brothers off guard and Damon didn't answer. "You believe that Katerina Petrova's blood turned you, but that is false."

"Tell me what I need to know." His tone wasn't as demanding as before. Instead it was softer, almost pleading with the witch.

"I know that you love Cassandra, Damon, but there is something about the night you died that you do not know." She carefully lifted her hands in the air and Damon shied away slightly. "If you can trust me, then I'll show you." The vampire nodded hesitantly and let Nandi place her hands on his forehead. His eyes fell shut as a memory played before him.

_Cassandra giggled quietly as she felt Damon skimming his fingertips up and down her neck.__"Stop that!" She chided playfully. Cassandra had gone against Elijah's rules once again after he forced her to leave him. She figured that she was on her own now, so her new vampire life was now her own. Night after night, she'd sneak into Damon's bedroom, remove her compulsion on him and they'd spend the night talking to one another before she'd compel him again and leave by the time dawn approached._

_"I miss your laugh." He murmured quietly and tucked a curl behind her ear. Even though Katherine's compulsion somewhat worked on him, he still had very real and human feelings for Cassandra. _

_"I've missed everything about you." Her hands cupped his cheeks, one hand combing through his mused hair while the other stroked his cheek._

_"As have I." Damon nodded and he felt compelled to lean forward and claim her lips in a kiss. Cassandra, however, was having an inner battle she wasn't sure she'd win. Part of her wanted to pin him down to the bed and kiss him till he had no breath left while the other part wanted to rip that strong throat out of his and drink. She was still a baby vampire, so her need to feed was very great, but she didn't have too much of a handle on her control. Damon pressed his lips against hers and at first; her body went rigid, preparing her body to do the unpredictable. His heartbeat had only accelerated and the rush of blood coloring his cheeks warmed his skin and hers. For a moment her grip on his face tightened, ready to pull back once she felt her control slipping, but then her body did quite the opposite of what she thought._

_She kissed him back._

_His lips were soft against hers, just like she remembered them to be and they caressed hers with all of the tenderness of a human kiss. But she was no longer a fragile human. No, she wasn't made of spun glass and could shatter at one false move. She was stronger and it thrilled her to have that kind of power, so she kissed him harder. Her hands slid back into his hair, her fingers winding around the soft, black curls as she opened her lips to him. Once Damon's passion was called to, it answered proudly and he snuck his tongue past her lips and into her mouth. Wanting to be in control, he pinned her down to the mattress and held her wrists down, as if that would hold a vampire. He knew it wouldn't but he loved the longing way she looked up at him when he broke the kiss. She parted her lips and arched her back, begging him to kiss her once more and he did willingly. The spilt second that Cassandra felt his grip on her wrists loosen; she flashed them to switch positions. She sat astride his hips and teasingly ground herself over his tenting pants, all the while keeping him pinned down._

_"Cassandra..." His moan was like music to her ears, a sweet pray that was sent up to heaven above. Damon felt like he'd burst if he couldn't touch her for a moment longer. "Please, Cassandra. Let me touch you." He begged while his hips bucked against hers. Feeling a little generous, she unhanded his wrists and allowed him to lean up. They were sitting chest to chest now with Cassandra's legs wrapped around his waist. He cupped the back of her neck and kissed he fiercely, making her whimper against his lips. Damon then gripped her hip, fingers dancing down to her firm bottom and giving one cheek a playful squeeze. She squirmed in his hold and with his hands to guide her; she thrust against his hard length. Their kissed became feverish as the seconds ticked on and Cassandra felt her vampire side creeping its way up to the surface. She pulled away from his lips, but it didn't stop Damon. He was kissing her neck now, his teeth nibbling and his tongue laving over the skin._

_"Damon," He mistook it for a moan of pleasure, but Cassandra quickly felt herself losing control. Dark veins speckled the skin beneath her eyes while her blunt canines grew to sharp points. "Damon, no. Stop, please." Her voice was laced with desperation and Damon quickly stopped himself hearing her pleas. He looked up at her hauntingly beautiful face and saw the same girl he fell in love with. He could see that she was fighting with her control, but that only made him love her more._

_"You are hungry." Damon stated._

_"I fed before I came, but..." She didn't want to tell him that her thirst for blood was practically insatiable, but that was the ugly truth._

_"Feed from me." He offered and she shook her head, feeling more and more uneasy as the seconds ticked on._

_"I can't, Damon. I can't do it." She panted._

_"Cassandra, please. You're hungry and I want to help you." His words were soft and sweet._

_"But, I don't want to hurt you." She whimpered. "What if I can't stop?"_

_Damon unbuttoned the top of his shirt, exposing his neck and some of his chest to her. "You will. I know you will." The faith and confidence he had in her was nearly overwhelming, she'd call it stupid almost, but it comforted her as well. He was willing to put himself in danger for her. Cassandra leaned her head down to his neck and gently brushed her lips over the flushed skin. Her fangs ached and her hunger spiked, but she held her control. She placed some wet kisses over where she wanted it bite and she felt Damon relax in her arms. His selflessness gave her the courage she needed to pierce through his skin. He was offering his neck and blood to her even though he knew very well that she could drain him dry. His blood was sweet on her tongue and she could hear Damon whimpering in pleasure above her. Elijah had taught her to bite this way as opposed to ripping into a meal because a vampire would feel more remorse if they felt as if they were feeding from a lover, therefore making them more conscious of how much blood they were taking. Damon's hands cradled her close to him as she took slow, deep pulls from the puncture wounds. She lapped at the blood like a kitten would for fresh milk and purred as his blood nourished her. At the first slow thump of his heart, Cassandra pulled back and unsheathed her fangs from him carefully as to not ruin his skin even more._

_"I...I stopped." She whispered happily. "I was able to stop myself."_

_Damon smiled weakly back at her, "I knew you could." Her eyes were now back to normal and her fangs were gone, however his blood still stained her lips. He ripped off a piece from the bottom on his shirt and wiped it away, leaving her clean._

_Her happiness was short lived seeing that she had left a mark on his neck and she frowned. "Take my blood." She offered him her wrist. "It will heal you."_

_"Will it bring you pleasure when I drink from you?" He asked curiously._

_"Yes, Damon." She nodded and slit her wrist with her nail. The skin split and her warm blood dribbled from the wound. He pressed his mouth against it, trapping the blood there and he gently sucked, but it wasn't enough for him. With blunt teeth, he bit down hard and ruptured her skin, allowing more blood to flow. Cassandra's head leaned back over her shoulders, pleasure coursed through her entire undead being. With closed eyes, she could hear his skin stitching itself back together until it was completely healed. A gentle tug on his hair made him stop and he watched his own bite mark heal on her skin._

_He licked his lips of any traces of blood and his eyes were swimming in a dazed glaze. "My body feels like it's numb." He whispered._

_"That's from my blood." She replied and cupped his cheek. He gasped from the sensation, her skin against his shocked him. His senses were extra sensitive from the blood exchange and his body felt the pull of sleep. Cassandra eased him down to the mattress and tucked him in tightly._

_"When will I see you again?" Her heart broke whenever she had to compel and leave him._

_Cassandra gave him a sad sigh, "I don't know, Damon."_

_"Soon?" He asked hopefully however his eyes were quickly drifting closed. She couldn't answer him, so instead, she kissed him softly. Before taking her leave, she compelled him to forget her once more and her heart ached. She escaped through his open window and blew him one last kiss before disappearing into the night. He was shot that night by his own father._

Damon suddenly jumped back as the memory faded from his vision. Now he remembered that she came to him the night he was shot. It was her blood that was in his system and her blood that bound him to her.

"She was unaware that the blood sharing would cause this kind of a bond, but it happened nonetheless." Nandi spoke to a very disgruntled Damon. "She knows what she has to do. It is just a question of whether or not she will act on it."

* * *

Cassandra tossed some bills to the driver as she exited the cab and walked up the walkway to the boarding house. Inside, she could here Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie giggling up on the second floor. At least they were having a fun night, she sighed. She pushed open the front door and her jaw dropped seeing empty wine bottles strewn all over the living room.

"Jeez, you guys drank the good stuff without me?" Cassandra sighed and collected some empty bottles from the floor.

"You're back early." Elena stated simply as she hopped down the steps. She heard the car pull away and wanted to check who had come home while Caroline and Bonnie remained upstairs. The young vampire immediately jumped in to help her clean up. "I'll clean up here. Don't worry about it."

"No, I'll help. I need to take my mind off things." She replied cryptically.

"What happened?" She asked.

Cassandra stopped her clean up for a moment, having to actually verbalize what happened in New Orleans. "Damon is sired to me and it could be that his feelings for me aren't real. They could only exist because of the sire bond."

"No..." Elena shook her head and Cassandra nodded. "But, that can't be right."

"It is."

"So, how does it feel?" The girls turned to see Caroline standing there with Bonnie by her side. "To finally know that you've been controlling Damon?"

"Caroline, knock it off!" Bonnie ordered gruffly.

"You knew about this?" Cassandra leered. She wasn't taking kindly to anyone knowing her business, especially Caroline.

"Yep. I know everything." The blonde's smile was pure plastic.

"Care, stop it." Elena jumped in now.

The blonde looked between her two so called "friends" and frowned. "Why are you defending her? This was probably some sick plan of hers to get back at Katherine. After she was turned, Katherine swooped right in, taking her place. So, what better way to get back at a bitch than to sire your boyfriend to you?"

A whoosh through the air made Caroline duck as a bottle of wine hit the wall behind her. Glass shattered everywhere; even Elena and Bonnie were privy to the tiny glass storm. Cassandra's hybrid eyes were locked onto Caroline, like how a predator locks onto their prey, never letting it out of sight.

"Get out!" She growled low. All of the girls were speechless and none of them moved from their spots, each one was too struck with fear to do so. "I said, get out!" Cassandra picked up another bottle, ready to fling it at Caroline again, but both Caroline and Bonnie sped from the house. Always the melodramatic one, Cassandra launched the bottle after them, smashing it against the closed front door of the boarding house. The hybrid let out a cry of despair and punched the wall nearest to her, the force of her fist making a few books fall from their places on the shelf. Cassandra blurred up to her room and leaned against the wall, sliding down until she hit the floor as tears escaped the corners of her eyes. All of her anger and rage from before was transforming into pure sadness. It was practically crippling her and she held her head in her hands.

Elena was quick to follow and crouched next to Cassandra. She brushed her wild mane from her eyes, trying to calm her down. "Cassandra, it'll all be okay." She whispered.

"It won't, Elena." Cassandra wriggled herself from the vampire. "I can't do it. I just can't."

"Can't what?" She asked.

"The witch said that I have to let Damon go. In order to break the sire bond...I have to set him free." The hybrid was at the point of complete and total hysteria; even she couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. Elena didn't speak; instead she remained quiet and let Cassandra finish. "If I do the right thing and let him go, then his feelings for me might not be real." She whimpered and slammed her head back into the wall.

For the first time in her vampire life, Elena actually felt like her old human self as she wrapped her arms around Cassandra. She cradled her close to her and let her cry and sob into her shoulder. Her fingers combed through her friends hair and told her it would be okay, but all Cassandra could do was hug Elena back and sniffle, babbling about how she didn't want to let Damon go, but she knew deep down that she had to do it.

Sounds of a struggle and yelling from outside reached their ears and the two women and the bolted downstairs and out the front door to see two people blur off the property taking Caroline with them. Bonnie pulled herself up off the ground with Elena's help and Cassandra growled to herself.

"Way to be a damsel in distress, Caroline." She rolled her eyes.

* * *

Elena and Cassandra treaded carefully and quietly through the woods, listening for any signs of Caroline and where the mystery hybrids were holding her. They figured that they were from Tyler's pack, but neither of them could reach him.

"Caroline seriously had to get kidnapped tonight?" The hybrid grumbled as she maneuvered her way over some fallen roots.

"She didn't mean it, Cassandra." Elena shook her head.

"Yeah, sure she didn't. For the way she's been treating me, she's lucky I don't leave her ass out here." She added spitefully and stopped in her tracks, yanking off her jacket. "This is taking too long." She let herself turn willingly, she'd have a better shot at finding Caroline with her wolf sense of smell. She was a white wolf now, crouched beside Elena who gave her a firm pat on her head. The wolf licked at the vampires hand and her suddenly perked up at a horrifying scream on the wind.

"You hear something?" Elena asked and felt like she was talking to Lassie.

The wolf sped off and Elena ran after her with quick steps until they reached an old abandoned stable. The dynamic duo was quiet and Cassandra pressed her ear against the outer wall. She could smell a bunch of hybrids, at least ten of them and one blonde vampire. She heard Tyler's voice too as he argued with the hybrids that had taken Caroline. Negotiating didn't sound too favorable in this situation, so Cassandra backed away from the wall before taking a running jump start and propelled herself through the fading wood. Elena followed behind her and a fight broke out between them all. Some hybrids turned, no longer being sired to Klaus meant that they could change at will and they pounced on the white wolf. She fought valiantly with her sharp teeth and claws, biting and scratching her opponents, but the other hybrids were skilled fighters as well. Elena and Tyler took care of the human hybrids while trying to keep Caroline safe. Most of the wolf hybrids were quickly defeated and left, running out into the woods except for one brunette girl and one amber colored wolf. The other humans remained behind, seeing if the strongest of their pack could take out these intruders.

Tyler took the human, Kimberly, while Cassandra circled the darker wolf. She ran at him, butted her large head against his and shoving him back. The male wolf dragged his claws against the floor of the stable and charged at Cassandra, his snout chomping at her side, making her whimper loudly. The bite was strong enough to pierce through fur, skin, muscle and bone as he shook her roughly, digging his fangs in even more. The dark wolf made quick work of Cassandra with his sharp claws, marring her white fur with speck of blood and biting her scruff and hauling her away. He turned on the two vampire girls who cowered in the corner and stalker toward them, licking his lips at the thought of scarfing down two vampires. Elena and Caroline huddled into each other, but they tried to remain strong in the face of danger and ultimately death.

The wolf suddenly howled out in pain as he felt a pair of teeth chomp down on his tail and he was yanked away from the girls, the force nearly ripping his tail from his body. Cassandra took his right front paw in between her jaw and growled satisfyingly at the sound of the bones cracking and splitting through the skin. The white wolf bit all over her enemy's fur and scratched over his eye, the nail nicking the actual eyeball and the wolf reared its head back and forth frantically, hoping to shake off the excruciating pain.

Kimberly was quickly disabled and Tyler thrust a hand into her chest, curling around her heart and her pack mates were eager to jump in.

"Stay back! I'll rip her heart out right now!" He threatened. The pack backed off but watched with wide eyes for the outcome. He forced the hybrid girl to submit and she did after some struggle and resistance. True to his word, Tyler removed his hand, leaving Kimberly's heart still intact and looked around him to see that the other hybrids were kneeling before him. He was now the new alpha male of the pack. Cassandra limped forward and bowed her head, licking at his hand and he smiled down at her but frowned seeing her fur stained bright red. Eager to leave, Elena and Caroline stood and helped the wolf to walk on their way back to the boarding house.

* * *

Cassandra was curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped tightly around her as per Elena's orders while she watched the girls clean up the house. Caroline and Cassandra hadn't spoken, but the blonde kept casting looks to her hybrid heroine almost as if she wanted to say something but she kept holding her tongue.

"Guys, I'm feeling better already." She squeaked from her spot.

"Nope. It's our job to clean up." Elena shook her head sternly.

"Yeah, you just sit and rest." Bonnie added.

"Well, can I at least have something to drink other than Professor Creepy's tea?" She whined and pushed the mug aside on the coffee table. "What are these things in it? I'm pretty sure these sprigs are poisonous."

The witch sighed and rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "I'll pour you some plain tea." She got up off her knees, but a hand wave from Caroline halted her.

"No, you stay. I got it." She pranced off to the kitchen and Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"That's odd." She remarked quietly. "Perhaps she'll put cyanide in my tea..."

"Cassandra!" Both Bonnie and Elena scolded.

The woman on the couch waved her hands around exaggeratedly. "Hey! I wouldn't put it past her after the fight we had earlier today."

Caroline returned with a steaming new mug and shuffled over to Cassandra sheepishly. The hybrid took the mug with a small smile and a quiet 'thank you' before taking a sip. She hummed appreciatively before taking another sip.

"Mmm, vodka and tea. You know what I like." She smiled wider at the vampire who now sat down on the edge of the coffee table, facing her.

"Okay, I know that I was an absolute bitch today." She stated and flipped her blonde locks over her shoulder. "I completely deserved everything bad that happened to me today including being kidnapped and having two empty wine bottles being thrown at my head."

Cassandra nodded her head slowly and chuckled to herself. "Thank god they were empty bottles."

"What I'm trying to say is, I'm really sorry. I had no right to interfere with anything and I need to learn how to keep my big mouth shut." She babbled quickly. "And, I promise. I so, so promise not to hate on Damon anymore. He's your man and I'm happy for the two of you." The blonde added and promptly buttoned her lips, waiting for Cassandra's reply.

The hybrid eyed the nervous vampire before her and took another long sip of tea. Caroline's apology was admirable, she did mean what she said and knew that Caroline was just trying to be a good friend. "I accept your apology, Care." She smiled and so did the blonde. "Now, get me some more of this tea."

"Yes ma'am!" Caroline hopped up from her spot and gave a salute.

"Don't call me 'ma'am'. That makes me feel old." Cassandra sunk back into the couch. "Uh ladies! You missed a few bottles!" She snapped at her two maids who giggled as they continued to clean. "I could get used to being coddled."

* * *

Damon tip toed into the boarding house and softly closed the door behind him. He walked into the living room to see Cassandra huddled up on the couch in a cocoon of blankets fast asleep. Elena had told him about what happened last night with Caroline and the hybrids and cursed himself for not coming home sooner, but was speaking with Nandi about the sire bond. She'd told him everything he needed to know and now knew why Cassandra had left in such a rush. He sat down next to her sleeping form and brushed the back of his hand against her warm cheek. She smiled in her sleep and leaned into his touch before letting her eyes open and look up and him.

"Hey," He greeted with a charming smile.

"Hey back." She wriggled from her cotton prison, pushing the blankets off her.

"How was your night?" The vampire asked as he tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Awful." She scowled. "Yours?"

"Same." Damon sighed.

"Damon, we need to talk about this bond thing." She noted and he nodded.

"I know that I'm sired to you." He told her and she looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Nandi showed me a memory of you feeding me your blood the night I was shot. It was your blood that made me."

Cassandra stood from the couch and ran her hands through her hair. "I...I just did it to heal you. I didn't know that it would cause a sire bond." She stuttered.

"Cass, I know." Damon stood with her. "I know that it was an accident."

"But it still happened and because I did it you're sired to me." She murmured.

"I spoke to Elena and she said that Tyler told her the bond affects how I act and not how I feel." He told her softly. "I can promise you that my feelings for you would be the same." Damon proclaimed.

"Can you, Damon?" She asked. "Can you really promise me that? What if I break the bond and you don't really love me?"

"That's impossible. Cassandra, I am happier with you now than I have ever been in my entire life. My feelings for you have never changed. I love you so much. Please, don't take that away from me."

"You know what would make me happy? To know that this entire time that I've been completely in love with you; that what you actually felt for me; was real."

"It is real! Every bit of it is and I know what you're about to do and I'm asking you, please don't, Cass."

"I don't want to do this, Damon. I'm selfish remember? I made Elena turn so I could be back with you, but I have to do it, Damon. I have to do the right thing by you." Her eyes watered and she sniffled. She was absolutely heartbroken that she had to do this.

Damon then reached forward, gently taking one of her hands and placed it on his chest. His heartbeat pattered away beneath her warm fingertips. "Does this feel wrong?" He asked her and she didn't answer. Her eyes found the floor, unable to look at him. Damon stepped closer to her, still holding her hand over his heart, and tilted her chin up with his index finger. He cupped cheek and his thumb brushed back and forth under her bottom lip. She shivered, closing her sad eyes for a moment and leaning into touch. "Does this feel wrong?" He asked and again, Cassandra didn't answer him. Instead, her watery brown eyes met his pleading blue ones and she didn't think her heart could shatter anymore, but it did. He was practically begging for her not to do this, not now at least. Perhaps he just wanted one more day with her like this, but she couldn't see it as the right thing to do. Damon tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers, hoping to convince her that his love was absolutely real, but he knew that he needed more than a kiss to quell her doubts. The soft caress of his lips numbed her brain and she clutched the material of his shirt, pulling him closer and just enjoying him being near her.

For him, she'd give him one more day.

And then she'd break the sire bond.

* * *

**Pleeeeaaasseee review my lovelies :) I am coming down with a cold and reviews will make me feel better!**


	10. O Come, All Ye Faithful

**Hello everyone! Here's a New Years present for all of my lovely readers! I was going to wait a week to update, but I wanted to give you all a little something to read :) I hope you all enjoy and I wish all of you a happy and a healthy New Year!**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

The chirping of baby birds in their nest made a restless Cassandra groan and turn over in her sleep. All last night she had a hard time falling asleep. She tossed and turned, but nothing could help her slip into a peaceful night's sleep. Her mind was constantly running wild with possibilities on how this whole sire bond situation could work out and each one was worse than the last. Her body was exhausted and she finally felt some kind of relief when her cheek met a warm firm pillow. She let out a sigh and adjusted herself so she was leaning against it.

"This would be so much more fun if we were naked." Damon bellyached from above her while still keeping his eyes closed, trying to whip up a dream where Cassandra's naked body was pressed up against his own.

A soft chuckle left Cassandra's lips when she realized that she was using Damon as her own personal pillow, but her amusement only floated in the air for a moment. "I'm surprised you didn't try anything while I was asleep last night."

Damon's eyes cracked open at that. The bright rays of sunlight playing over his strong masculine facial features. "I was being a gentleman." He replied and turned over onto his back.

"And I respect that." She copied him and the both of them remained still, each letting out a sigh and staring up at the ceiling tiles. How come each time they were in a crisis, they were always found in this position? When they went to pick up Jeremy in Denver and stayed in that disgusting hotel room, the scene was much similar to this one. "I should have left and stayed with Caroline." Cassandra rose from the bed and traipsed to her closet.

"I would have gone with you." Damon sat up too, but stayed in his position.

"Then I should have sent you away like I had planned to do it." She threw open the doors and sifted through the hangers. "You're sired to me, Damon. Which means everything that you think you feel; might not even be real." Cassandra pulled a pair of dark wash jeans and slid them up her legs.

"I know, Cassandra, but it feels real." He replied as he watched her pull on a black V-neck t-shirt. Damon hopped off the bed and walked over to her. "And I'm not ready to let go of that."

"Well, I can make you. Invoke the sire bond." She nodded.

"So do it." Damon replied but Cassandra didn't speak. She looked down at her hands which were nervously playing over the spot where her ring sat. "You're scared." It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement.

"Of course I'm scared." Cassandra's eyes met his. "I don't want to let you go, but I have to."

Damon let that mull over in his head for a while before asking, "So, what do you wanna do?"

Cassandra stepped closer to him and gave a small smile. "You know what I wanna do?" Her hands cupped his cheeks lovingly and slid down the sides of his neck till they rested at the top button of his shirt. He didn't give her a definitive reply, instead he just watched her, waiting for what she'd say next. "I wanna throw you back in our bed and never let you leave." Her husky whisper sent shivers down Damon's spine as he involuntarily moved closer to her.

"So do it." His tone matched her own and had the same affect, if not more prominent, and Cassandra's lips hovered over his. A soft whimper passed his lips, a plea to give him what he craved and just as Cassandra's nimble fingers freed the button, her cell phone rang quite obnoxiously. Her eyes fell closed and she backed away from Damon, removing her hands as well.

"Damn phone." She grumbled and yanked it from her pocket, typing back a reply before sheathing it once again. Elena had been texting her about meeting with her and Bonnie to help with Jeremy's need to kill any and every vampire he sees. At first, she was hesitant to join them, but she figured that it would give her a chance to let her brain stop thinking about the sire bond. "Listen, uhm, I'm meeting with Bonnie and Elena today at the Gilbert Lake house. Wanna come?"

The vampire nodded simply, taking up Cassandra's bag from floor by the bed, "Like you could keep me away." She took it from him and smiled slightly. He always had a way of making her laugh even when there seemed like there wasn't a reason to.

"Damon, I want you to promise me something." She took his hands in hers.

"Anything." He squeezed them firmly.

"And the end of today, I'm going to break the sire bond." She told him and he parted his lips just slightly to interrupt, but she placed a finger over them, halting his protest. "And if after the bond is broken you still really love me in the way that you do..." She trailed off and twisted her engagement ring off her left ring finger. "I want you to ask me again on your own terms." The ring gleamed brightly as beams of sunlight reflected off the diamonds. "For real."

Damon took the ring in his fingers and eyed the brilliance of it before slipping it into his pocket. "I promise." He kissed the back of her hand to seal the deal. As much as it hurt him to agree to something like that, he'd do it for her.

* * *

Damon killed the engine on his Camero just as they pulled up to the Gilbert Lake house. Jeremy was outside swinging his axe away at some pieces of wood. He immediately stopped when he saw the two supernatural's waiting in the car. The hunter gripped the axe tighter, the muscles on his arms flexing and twitching at the thought of chopping them to bits.

"Well, he doesn't look happy to see us." Cassandra noted as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Jeremy!" Bonnie called and jogged up behind him.

"They shouldn't be here." He growled evilly, his grip on the handle of the axe only tightening as he stared them down.

"They're here to help you." The witch spoke softly. "Do you trust me?" Her fingers gently brushed against his that were wrapped around the axe and he relaxed slightly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I trust you." Jeremy spoke and released the axe, allowing Bonnie to take it and toss it to the ground. She tugged Jeremy to come inside just as Elena and Professor Shane exited the house. Elena gave a smile to the pair as they got out of the car but Damon scowled at the Professor.

"What the hell is Professor Shadypants doing here?" Damon asked aloud, not caring if Shane heard him.

"Elena invited him." Cassandra whispered to him while they approached the house. Shane was rearranging some furniture around with Bonnie as he looked to the two beings who were stuck outside.

"Okay, listen, we are ready to get started, but before we can do that, we need them in here." He told Jeremy who looked less than pleased that they had to come inside.

Elena stepped forward, "This is your house now, Jer. You have to invite them in." Jeremy stared at them with dark eyes and clenched his fists at his side.

"Go ahead, Jeremy. Invite them in." Shane placed a reassuring hand on the hunters tense shoulder.

Jeremy hesitated for a moment longer before uttering their invitation. "You both can come in." Both Cassandra and Damon stepped over the threshold, the barrier being diminished. Cassandra tossed her bag on the couch as she walked past Jeremy and the hunter ultimately snapped. He gripped a small wooden stake at his waistband in an attempt to stake Cassandra, but he wasn't fast enough. Damon sped forward and his finger's curled around Jeremy's wrist, twisting hard so he would be in pain but the bones would still be intact. Sire bond or not, he'd protect Cassandra no matter what.

"Jeremy!" Bonnie screamed in terror.

Damon yanked Jeremy's arm around and placed it behind his back, putting him in a strong chokehold. "Drop it!" He snarled in the hunter's ear and with great resistance, he let his grip on the wooden stake loosen and it fell to the floor. Cassandra, Elena, Bonnie and Shane all stared back at the vampire in surprise as Jeremy struggled, but Damon was clearly the one in control. "You're lucky we need you or else your heart would be across the room." Damon left him with that last thought before shoving him forward into Bonnie who took him aside, trying to calm him down.

* * *

Stefan sat on the couch in the library, reading through some old papers with his cell phone pressed to his ear while Caroline babbled on about Tyler's not so brilliant plan about being the subject for the body jump spell. He had the idea that if he and his hybrids could get Klaus's spirit in his body then they could lock him up for good so no one would have to worry about him being killed. Needless to say, Caroline was against the plan since that meant Tyler would be stuck in a crypt forever.

Once she calmed down, Stefan offered her some information that would hopefully be food for thought. "Hey, listen, I got Klaus to tell me a little bit more about this Hunter's sword. You know that map in Jeremy's tattoo? The sword decodes it. It's literally the key to finding the cure."

_"Klaus told you this?"_ The blonde asked skeptically.

"Yeah, why?"

_"And did he happen to hand over the sword for safekeeping?"_ It was a hopeful guess, but Stefan quickly shot it down.

"Uh, what do you think?" It was a snarky reply, but he was just as annoyed as everyone else was that he didn't have that sword. He heard Caroline sigh dramatically, "What's wrong?"

_"We need to get our hands on that sword. Like today. Tyler and his hybrids are taking out Klaus tonight."_ She dictated.

"And how do you suggest we do that?" The vampire grumbled.

"Perhaps I could be of some service." A female voice made Stefan whirl around to see a familiar face standing in his living room parlor. He knew who she was from the drawings Klaus had shown him, but it was surreal to see her right in front of him. The vampire stood slowly, keeping his green eyes on the woman. "Hello Stefan." She greeted with a smile.

"You're Giuliana." He was beyond spooked.

"Ding, ding, ding." The woman sang amusedly. "Now, I hear you need help finding that sword." She brushed her dark and golden curls over her shoulder and sauntered to him. The bottom of her black bustier shifted slightly and Stefan could see some pale skin peeking out by her hip, he could also see the black marks lace up her arm.

"You can get it?" Stefan asked her.

"No, I never said that." She wagged a teasing finger at him and poured herself a glass of Damon's bourbon. "_You_ can sneak into Klaus's place while I finesse our favorite hybrid."

"How do I know you won't tell him I'm looking for the sword?" He wasn't too keen on trusting her.

"Klaus and I have a score to settle." Giuliana replied. "You can trust me Stefan. You know that he killed my brother, so naturally you know that I'm out for revenge." Stefan's green eyes looked between the tattoo on her arm and her emerald green eyes that looked so much like his own. Her mark stretched from her hand up to her shoulder, but it looked almost faded and worn. Perhaps he could trust her, she hadn't made any moves to kill him he knew that Klaus killed Alexander, so she wanted his blood.

"Tell me what I have to do."

* * *

Giuliana Ricci tilted her head to the right as she observed the art piece before her. The Grill was bustling with guests as they sipped their champagne and exchanged casual conversation about the different pieces of artwork that were perched on easels. The piece she was currently observing was encased in a gold frame and it was Klaus's style, she could tell, so it had to be his work. The black smears of paint graced the canvas like looming shadows while the frothy white snowflakes brought the joy of a child seeing their first snowfall. She brushed her fingertips over the flakes, it never really snowed in Italy, but she remembered that the winters would be unbearably cold. She would steal Alexander's fur blankets and take them back to her room, huddling inside them with her younger sisters to keep warm. That was when her family was happy, but that was all before _they_ came.

"Nice snowflake." She muttered as she felt Klaus's presence behind her.

"Is my work really that literal?" The hybrid jeered as he stood by her side, admiring his latest artwork.

"If I didn't know any better, Klaus, I would think you were lonely." She turned to him and took in how good he looked in a suit.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He snickered. "Can I offer you some champagne?"

"I'd like that very much." Giuliana smiled and adjusted the long sleeve on her emerald green one-shouldered cocktail dress. "If you're going to try and charm me, then I will need that glass of champagne."

"Allow me," He bowed his head and left, heading for the bar.

Giuliana pulled her iPhone from her pocket and sent a text to Stefan who she was sure was biting his nails, anxious to get started.

* * *

_He's here. Go._

Stefan read over the words and didn't wait another second. He snuck around Klaus's mansion, making sure that none of his hybrid lackeys were around and ripped the handle off of the vault Klaus had showed him earlier today. Inside that vault was the sword that would decipher Jeremy's mark. He yanked the vault door open with impressive strength and frowned seeing that the sword was no longer resting inside. The vampire growled and pressed his cell phone to his ear, calling his brother.

_"__Well, he's not walking around with it. Check the rest of the house."_ Damon replied.

"I am. I haven't found anything." His brother grumbled as he looked through the vault again.

Damon made a sound of distaste, _"Try the sock drawer. People leave the sketchiest stuff in sock drawers."_ Stefan heard Cassandra add, _"Well, you keep bourbon in your underwear drawer."_

Stefan sighed exasperatedly, "I'm gonna need real ideas, you two."

_"Here's two: Kill Tyler before he goes to Klaus or, since Klaus has suddenly become MVP in our relay race for the cure, tell him about the hybrids and he'll kill Tyler."_ He relayed.

The vampire happened to come across a bunch of old letters in his search that rested on the table and he picked one up in his hands. "Nobody's killing Tyler." He told his brother absently as he began to read the letter.

_My Beloved,_

_ Not a day goes by that I do not think of you and the joyous times we have spent together. The days are long and endless without you and I fear that I am growing quite lonely. I try to keep myself busy, I really do, but I just miss you so very much. The war is terrible. I see young men being killed every day and I can only hope and pray that I find my way back to you safely. You know as well I do that I am only doing this to please my father, but I do not want to be here anymore. I hope you are doing well and I do hope that you do not miss me too much. I dream of your lips pressing against mine and your laugh often plays in my mind like a beautiful melody. I pray that this letter finds you and brings you comfort since I do not know how much longer I will be in battle. I miss you and love you very much._

_ With all my love,_

_ Damon_

Damon's nagging voice jarred Stefan from his reading, _"Hello? Stefan?"_

"I'll keep looking. Keep me posted on how Jeremy is doing." He said.

_"You mean on how Elena is doing."_ Damon corrected him. _"She's a mess without you, Stefan."_

"I know, Damon, but I need to find the cure for her." He promptly hung up the phone, leaving Damon and Cassandra speechless.

"He'll drive himself mad looking for that damn cure." Cassandra muttered.

"Tell me something I don't know." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Well, Jeremy's treatment isn't working. I think Shane is bullshitting us." She whispered under her breath.

Damon pursed his lips, giving it a thought before taking her hand and leading her into the main room of the Lake house. "Maybe there's something else they can try."

Bonnie was readying herself to try the hypnosis with Jeremy again who was sitting in a chair. "You okay? Shane wants to try again." Jeremy was ready to answer when he saw Cassandra and Damon enter the room. He abruptly stood and clenched his jaw.

Damon gave him a stern look, communicating that if he tried the same move he did earlier this afternoon, his head would be across the room. "Survey says..." He made a buzzing noise. "Professor Shane has been dipping into the magical herbs a little too much; if he thinks using a vampire to suppress the need to kill another one is gonna work on a Hunter. It's like dangling a cheeseburger in front of someone on a master cleanse. Just find someone else to attach your warm and fuzzy detour feelings to." Everyone in the room looked between Jeremy and Bonnie who were exchanging fleeting glances at one another. Everything Damon said was completely true and hopefully for Elena's sake, it would work in dousing his killer instincts. "Gee, I wonder who that could be." Damon looked directly at Bonnie.

"You." The hunter said and Bonnie met his gaze, looking slightly shocked. "I feel that way about you."

"Well, this isn't awkward at all. I'll be anywhere else." The vampire whistled as he left the room.

* * *

_It's not here._

Giuliana scowled as she read the message and tucked her phone away. Damn sneaky hybrid. Where the hell was that sword? A rough shove to her shoulder nearly knocked her off her feet as a girl pushed past her.

"Hey!" She called and the brunette girl turned around, not really bothering to give an apology.

"Oh, you're Damon's girl, right?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nope, but like Cassandra, I don't like being pushed around." Giuliana moved in closer to the girl and wrinkled her nose at the scent that wafted off of her. "Mutt." She spat.

The female hybrid glared at this new woman. "What did you just call me?" She asked incredulously.

"I think you heard me very well." She growled.

"Are we gonna have a problem, me and you?" The brunette clenched her teeth. Giuliana's green eyes burned with disgust that this dog would dare challenge her.

"That's enough, Hayley." Klaus placed a firm hand on the girls shoulder, easing her to back down.

"She started it." Hayley muttered childishly.

"Enough." The male hybrids voice was commanding and firm. "Run along now." Hayley gave Giuliana one last hard stare before turning on her heel and sulking off.

"Someone needs to keep their pets on a tighter leash." Giuliana said loud enough for Hayley's hybrid hearing to pick up even though it was spoken more so to her master.

Klaus snickered and passed her a glass of champagne. "I trust she didn't ruffle your feathers too much?"

Giuliana scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes. "Please, I could chew her up and spit her out without so much as breaking a sweat."

"She's quite the handful that one." Klaus murmured and handed her a glass of champagne.

"So, what have you been up to lately?" She asked him.

"Well, darling, I've broken the hybrid curse and I am now working on finding the cure that will make Elena human again so I can make more hybrids." Klaus answered with a wry smile.

"Sounds impressive." Giuliana hummed. "Well, I haven't done much, considering I had a sword stuck in my chest for a few hundred years."

"How did that happen anyways?" The hybrid wondered as they walked through the Grill, admiring artwork as they went along.

Giuliana took a long sip of her drink, nearly finishing it. "After you slaughtered my brother and Rebekah buried him with his sword, I went back to his grave."

_It was the dead of night, the darkness was overwhelming as Giuliana's shaking fingers lifted off the top of her brother's coffin. The stone slipped through her clammy hands and she pushed it aside. She lifted her candle to see her brother's mangled body and all she could do was let out a strangled sob at his condition. Dried blood was caked to his pale skin and bite marks decorated his body. Giuliana didn't have long to mourn her brother, so she took the famed sword from his hands and covered up the large hole, keeping Alexander's body in the coffin._

_Her feet bled as she ran through the woods, but she swore to herself that she wouldn't stop pushing herself. She heard howls on the wind just as she reached the old cottage. Giuliana banged her fists against the door until a haggard old woman answered._

_"Please, help me." She begged but the woman seemed hesitant to help this wandering traveler. Giuliana held up the sword and the old woman's grey eyes widened before opening the door a little, letting her inside._

"I asked her to perform a spell that would awaken me when the time was right." Giuliana continued. "Some grave robbers were walking through the cemetery one night and removed the sword from me and now I walk among the living."

"That's quite a tale." Klaus remarked and took a sip of champagne.

"You've always been one for over the top stories." She laughed and clinked her glass against his.

"That is a lovely color on you." Klaus's sky blue eyes ran over her body, drinking in everything about her. "It really brings out the green in your eyes." He added huskily as he stood close to her, his lips at her ear now. His index finger gently traced the lace of her sleeve on her shoulder and peeled it back just slightly to reveal the black marks of her tattoo. "And this fascinating tattoo just adds to the whole picture."

"You wanna see the rest of it?" Giuliana teased him playfully and he smirked back at her. "It's the same as Alexander's. I'm sure you have a good enough memory."

Klaus removed his finger from her dress completely and pocketed his hand in his pocket. "Exactly the same?" He questioned.

Giuliana nodded. "In fact, it is so similar that it doesn't grow when I kill a vampire." Klaus looked back at her, disbelief written all over his features. "Don't believe me? Let's test it out, shall we? Hmm, how about I rip Hayley's intestines out and wear them as a necklace?"

"Why doesn't the mark grow?" He inquired, obviously curious as to why.

"I missed the window of becoming a full hunter. My guess is that another potential hunter stepped up and took my place." She shrugged, not really knowing the reason for her mysterious mark. "So, it's pretty much a tattoo that I'll have for the rest of my life. That's all it'll amount to be."

* * *

"Hey Nate." Hayley greeted her hybrid friend quite gruffly.

The black haired boy gave a tisk. "Jeez, Hayl. What's your deal?"

"I need you to do me a favor." She stated and Nate nodded. "See that brunette in the green dress?" Nate's stormy grey eyes immediately found his target talking with Klaus and he gave a wolf whistle.

"Damn, I'd like to bend her over and-"

"Kill her." Hayley interjected.

"Actually, I was gonna say..."

"I know what you were going to say, Nate, but right now I don't care." She hissed heatedly. "Just get rid of her."

"Why? What's in it for me?" Nate crossed his arms over his chest.

"She's a threat to exposing our plan." Hayley replied. "Besides, you can even have a little fun with her before you kill her." She added with a sickeningly sweet smile and Nate smirked back at her.

* * *

Cassandra sighed as she stood at the end of the dock of the Lake house. The sun was setting soon, meaning that she only had a few hours left until she had to break the sire bond. She had hoped that being with Elena today would help take her mind off of it, but it was like a black cloud, looming over her and waiting to explode. Cassandra picked up a pebble at the edge of the dirt and threw it across the lake, watching it skip a few times before it broke the surface of the water and sunk down to the bottom of the lake.

"It was good thinking using Bonnie as Jeremy's emotional touch zone." Shane's voice made her look over her shoulder. "Damon is very intuitive. Yeah, Bonnie told me about your relationship with him. I don't mean to pry, obviously."

"It's complicated." The woman shrugged. "The kicker is that there is no spell that can break this thing. It's all about free will."

"You know, in all my world travels, the one spell that I've never found is how to break somebody from loving too much. Trust me, I've looked." He now held Cassandra's full attention as she waited for him to continue. "My wife and son died. I was just...I was trying to figure out a way not to miss them."

"I'm sorry," She felt sympathy for him because she knew what it was like to lose her family. "I lost my family too and unfortunately for a vampire, all you have is time." The two stood in silence for a few moments until Damon marched up to them with an axe in his hand.

"If your hypno-herbs work, we should be singing 'Kumbaya' around the fire by dinner." He proclaimed with a smirk. He looked between the two and propped the axe up on his shoulder. "So now, tell me why I'm not killing you?"

Cassandra took a step forward, shielding the Professor. "Damon." She warned.

"I'm serious. Why are you after the vampire cure?" Damon eyed Shane, waiting for his reply.

"I didn't say I was looking for the cure, but I can tell you where to find it." Shane answered.

"Klaus' sword will tell us where to find it." Damon added.

Shane nodded, "The sword will lead you there, sure, but so can I."

"What? How?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"Cause I've already been there." Shane stated and Damon and Cassandra exchanged a look of complete and utter shock. So, Professor Shady not only knew _where_ the cure was, he could take them to it.

* * *

Giuliana stepped into the back alley of the Grill for some air. She still hadn't heard from Stefan other than the text he sent before about the sword not being in Klaus's home, so she sent him another quick message. She pocketed her phone and leaned against the wall, taking in the serene night air when a wolf whistle reached her ears.

Making their way towards her was a tall, heavily built young man. His hair was black as night and was cut short, spiked on the top. He just looked like any partygoer, but Giuliana immediately sniffed him out.

"Hey there." He greeted with a sexy smile.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked and stood up straight, letting him know that she was on high alert.

"I was hoping you could." His grey eyes transformed into an amber color before he pounced at her. Giuliana was already ahead of him, her hands outstretched to grab at his shirt and throw him against the wall with impressive force. The hybrid groaned out and shook his head clear, not expecting to be tossed around so easily by a woman, but he shot his arm out. His claws caught in the lace of her sleeve and tore it away from her skin, exposing her tattoo.

Giuliana threw a jab to his jaw and then to his stomach, her strength startled Nate. She would not be an easy target to put down. Nate crouched and flung his legs out, knocking her off her feet and sending her crashing to the ground. She turned over onto her stomach and tried to crawl away, feeling a few bones had broken from the fall, but Nate curled a hand around her ankle, yanking her back and flipping her onto her back. He hovered over her now and thrust a hand in her chocolate brown and honey golden locks, tugging them roughly so her face was looking up at him. His double fangs were bared and he reared his head back, piercing her olive flesh. Giuliana whimpered at the intense pain and wriggled beneath her attacker, but he was heavy like dead weight. Nate drank like a man starved and reveled feeling the beauty who struggled and fought him. In one swift motion, Giuliana's entire arm was threw the front of his chest and out the other side, his beating heart was clutched in her hand. Nate finally pulled away from her neck at the pain that shot through him and it only numbed him as the life left his grey eyes. The woman threw his dead carcass off her and stood on shaky legs, the hybrid venom coursing through her veins. She was losing blood at an alarming rate and her entire body ached from the blows she took. Just as she moved to walk back inside the Grill, the tattoo on her arm started to sizzle. The black marks extended just slightly, trying to continue its path, but her body wouldn't allow it. As a result, a burning sensation laced up her arm for no longer than a minute before dying down. Giuliana pressed a hand to the side of her neck as she hobbled back inside the Grill, hoping to find someone to help her or at least a first aid kit to bandage her wound.

A brooding Hayley watched from the shadows as Giuliana disappeared inside the Grill. She really thought that her plan would work, but now all she had was a dead hybrid on her hands and she now had to clean up the mess. She stood above Nate's body, a hole through one side of his body and out the other while his heart lay somewhere nearby. The female hybrid growled aloud that Giuliana wasn't lying about her mark, but now she had to worry about her going off to find Klaus.

And she just couldn't have that.

* * *

In the living room area of the Lake house, Elena and Shane sat across from each other, while Damon and Cassandra stood next to the couch Elena is sitting on. Shane wrapped an old piece of cloth from around an object and placed it down on the table.

"It's a rock." Damon deadpanned.

"It's not just any rock." The professor replied and Cassandra swiped it up from off the table, examining it.

"Hmm, it looks like a rock and feels like a rock...so it's a rock." She tossed it around and she could see that Shane was getting uncomfortable with her handling of his rock.

"So, is this that silly little wives tale that you told at the occult exhibit?" The vampire spoke.

"Oh, I wasn't there for that, so do you mind refreshing everyone's memory?" The female hybrid gave the rock back to Shane who took it carefully.

"Right, long story short. Once upon a time, there was a witch named Silas who loved a girl, who wanted to be with her forever, so he and his best friend, another witch, made an immortality spell and then Silas' best friend witch got jealous and killed Silas' girl before he had a chance to make her immortal. Well, cursed to an eternity without his one true love, Silas finds a way to reverse the immortality spell and then before he has the chance to take it, his former friend buries him underground, leaving him and the cure to rot." The professor explained.

"So, it's a cure for immortality?" Elena asked.

"Human blood is the life force of an immortal. No more immortality, no more need to feed on blood, you dig up Silas and you've got your cure." Shane added.

* * *

Locking the bathroom door behind her, Giuliana was careful not to drip blood onto the floor. She moved her hair off her shoulder to see the gaping wound staring back at her in the mirror. She turned on the sink and moved to gather some paper towels from the holder on the wall. When she returned back to her reflection, she saw Hayley standing right behind her just long enough until her head was put through the mirror. Glass sliced through the skin on her face before she tumbled to the ground.

"Hayley." The woman snapped up at her.

The hybrid tilted her head to the right slightly and smiled down at her, it wasn't a friendly one by any means. "That was a cool trick you did there out in the alley."

"I had a feeling it was you that set me up. You dogs always like to travel in packs." Giuliana smirked even though her insides burned.

"Yeah, but now I have a problem on my hands." Hayley started. "I can't have you go off and telling Klaus that one of his hybrids went rouge because he clearly ordered them not to harm you. He has some delusional fixation on you."

Giuliana let out a chuckle, "You're sick."

The sharp heel of Hayley's shoe made contact with Giuliana's stomach and she heard the sickening crack of two more ribs being broken. "You see, Tyler and I have been working to unsire them to Klaus and he can't know that." Giuliana's eyes fluttered closed, the pain was becoming too much that Hayley's words were sounding like a garbled mess. Hayley's phone rang in her purse and she annoyingly whipped it out, replying to Professor Shane.

In a last stitch effort to save herself, Giuliana leapt up and slammed Hayley into the wall, but the wolf was expecting that. She head butted her and grabbed her long hair, leading her to one of the stalls. Throwing open the door, Hayley brought Giuliana's head down with amazing strength right into the rim of the toilet and smirked hearing the ceramic crack and break. A heavily bleeding and broken Giuliana remained still on the floor, floating in and out of consciousness.

Hayley only had a moment to take pride in her work before huffing at her ringing phone. "What?" She hissed over the speaker. "I was texting you back. You couldn't gimme like two seconds? Yeah...yeah I know, Shane. I'm taking care of it. No, Tyler doesn't know. Do you think I'm an idiot? You'll have your twelve hybrids. Don't worry." Giuliana was able to catch bits of the conversation as she groaned weakly on the floor.

"You bitch..." She muttered and Hayley just laughed before kneeling down in front of her and propping her limp body against the wall of the bathroom stall.

"Easy. Don't exert too much energy. We wouldn't want you dying too quickly now do we?" She giggled heartlessly. "Now, you have one of two choices. You can either bleed to death, or you can let the hybrid poison rot you from the inside out. Take your pick." Hayley stood and left the stall, closing the door behind her and exited the bathroom. By the time anyone got to Giuliana, she'd be dead.

* * *

Shane unfolded a piece of paper that had a drawing of the tattoo on it. "This is the mark of the Brotherhood of the Five." He instructed as he pointed to the part of the tattoo that would be on the hunter's hand. "And up the arm, you have the murder of a girl by a witch. The symbols in the vines are your map, which obviously, you no longer need. When this mark is complete, it will contain the spell that we need to dig up Silas."

Damon scoffed. "And where'd you say he was buried? Oh, I forgot, you didn't."

Shane looked back at Damon, an annoyed look gracing his features "You two have threatened to kill me, what, like three times already this week."

"With good reason." Cassandra chimed in.

"Yeah." Damon nodded.

"The location is how I'm gonna survive your bad moods." Shane bellyached.

"Oh, Professor Creepy made a funny. You know, if your teaching gig doesn't work out you might have a future in stand-up comedy." The female hybrid sneered.

"And what's in it for you? If not the cure, then what?" Elena chimed in.

"I'm in this for Silas, alright, up until this point he's only been myth." Shane replied.

"So write a thesis." Damon grumbled.

"Would you rather be the guy who writes about Noah's Ark or the one who sails it down the Hudson River?" Shane proposed and neither of them answered him. He sighed and folded up the piece of paper, tucking it away in his jacket pocket.

Damon's lips twisted up in disdain. "I'm not buying it."

"You don't have to buy anything. You just have to believe that I can fix Jeremy. And when his Hunter's mark is complete, I'm gonna take you to the cure." The professor stated.

"We'll believe that when we see it." Cassandra smirked.

* * *

April Young let out a long sigh finally being in the comfort of her own mind. It had gotten too crowded outside and she needed to clear her head. She wanted to check her appearance but frowned seeing that the mirror was completely shattered and stains of drying blood spattered the broken glass. She raised an eyebrow before she caught a trail of blood on the floor leading from the sink to one of the bathroom stalls. A groan made her heart jump into her throat as she slowly moved towards the closed stall.

"Hello? Are you alright? Do you want me to get help?" All of her questions were unanswered, so she decided to be brave and open the door, but no amount of courage could have prepared her for the horror that lay inside the stall. "Cassandra!" She crouched down to the woman she thought she was and looked over her bloodied face. She had a black eye, a broken nose and two throbbing puncture wounds adorned her neck. "Oh my god!" The girl hushed and checked for a pulse on her wrist, the only bone in her body that didn't seem hurt. A weak beating alerted April that she couldn't help Cassandra on her own. Just as she turned to leave the bathroom and get help, she was face to face with Caroline and she let out a little scream.

The blonde took her by the shoulders and compelled her. "Forget everything you just saw. You are Miss Mystic Falls and you have duties to fulfill." April nodded and left the bathroom without another word while Caroline rushed to the woman's side. "Holy shit, Cassandra! What happened to you?"

"Not...not Cassandra." Giuliana spoke softly.

"What? Who did this to you?" She asked.

"Hayley." That one named made Caroline's blood boil.

"That bitch!" She hissed.

"No time to explain. Tyler is in danger." Caroline froze hearing this. "Hayley is planning on outing him to Klaus. Tell him to run and never come back." Giuliana's eyes finally cracked open and Caroline knew that this wasn't Cassandra at all.

"Who the hell are you?" The blonde vampire now took in her entire appearance including the tattoo on her arm.

With a pained intake of breath, "Stefan knows who I am. That's not important now. Get to Tyler now, Caroline before it's too late." She pleaded with her.

* * *

It was nighttime now as Cassandra sat outside alone. She watched Elena, Jeremy and Bonnie sift through some boxes of holiday decorations that the baby vampire had brought with her, hoping to bring some holiday cheer to the house. Cassandra smiled watching them, she was happy that Elena had her family back to normal by the time the holidays came around. Damon then entered the room, another brown box in his hand and the girls pounced, rifling through it and giggling excitedly at what they found inside. The blue eyed vampire caught Cassandra's longing glances and beckoned for her to come inside but she shook her head, not really in the holiday mood. Damon pursed his lips and plucked a sprig of mistletoe from one of the boxes and sauntered to her outside.

"Of all of the drama, you're missing the actual fun part." He smirked and wiggled the mistletoe above her head and smirked, asking for a kiss.

"Damon, we can't." She shook her head. "I can't."

"Oh, come on. It's just a kiss." He bellyached.

"I just can't do it." Cassandra played with her hands.

"Cassandra, you can't keep telling me that this isn't real. I know how I feel and that you feel it too, so stop fighting it." He proclaimed.

Damon twirled the sprig in his fingers, smiling genuinely before flicking it aside. "Christmas was always mine and Stefan's favorite holiday when we were kids. Not that I've celebrated it since. I kind of miss that."

"I remember spending a Christmas with you." She smiled too. "It was a very happy time." Christmas was always her favorite time of year, and she loved spending it with the Salvatore's. She just loved the holiday, it was a time of hope, joy and family. Cassandra looked up into the night sky, the stars twinkled brightly and her eyes welled up with tears, it was time. "I thought that I could keep this up, but I just can't." She stood now and shuffled her feet.

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked her worriedly.

"I was supposed to do the right thing by you, which is what I'm going to do right now." She took his hands in hers and she could feel Damon tense. "Damon, I have to let you go." She whispered and Damon shook his head.

"Cassandra, no." He growled.

"But I have to do right by you. I can't keep doing this. I have to set you free."

"Don't do this to me." Damon begged.

"I am breaking the sire bond on you, Damon. You will no longer feel bound to me and you will be free to make your own choices." Her eyes bore into his. "

"Cass, please don't." He pleaded with her.

"I'm setting you free, Damon This is what I want. This what will make me happy." She told him, little tears running down her cheeks. Not only was the bond broken, but so was her heart. Cassandra could immediately see a change within Damon. It was something she couldn't quite explain, but the change in him was obvious. Damon took a step back and looked at Cassandra curiously, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head. "How do feel?" She asked hesitantly.

"Different." Damon replied simply.

"Good." She nodded and wiped her tears.

The vampire continued to look at her as if he was looking at her for the first time. The sire bond was broken, he knew it and could feel a change within himself, but he still loved her all the same. "If the bond is broken..." He trailed off.

"It is." She stated.

"Then why is it that I still want to kiss you?" He stepped forward and cupped the back of her neck. He stared down at her, feeling an even stronger connection. Every ounce of love and adoration he felt before the bond was broken was still there, none of it got lost in translation.

Cassandra's eyes flicked from his lips to his eyes, but they eventually found his lips once again. She was unconsciously leaning forward, eager to close the distance between them. "So do it."

His lips pressed to hers and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. It was so full of passion and love, threatening to make Cassandra's knees give out. Damon's soft lips moved over hers and he held her hips tightly, pulling them against his. Her fingers played with the hair on the nape of his neck, gently tugging and scratching through his scalp. He kissed her on his own, he still loved her even though the bond was broken. Damon pulled back just a little and rested his forehead on hers. Both of them were panting and wishing that their lips would be connected again.

"Do you love me?" Damon asked quietly.

Cassandra nodded with a smile. "Yes, I love you."

"Then prove it." He reached into his pocket and took out her engagement ring. Damon dropped to one knee and held her left hand. "Marry me. Right now."

She was shaking like a leaf as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. The bond was broken, but he still loved her and wanted to marry her. "Yes! Yes, Damon!" He slipped the ring on her finger and pressed his lips to hers again.

* * *

Caroline took out her phone, lifting it to her ear. "Stefan! Listen, you need to get here now." Even though Giuliana had urged her to leave, she still remained until she could get help.

"There's no need for that." Klaus stepped into the bathroom now and Caroline hung up the phone. "What happened here?"

"Hayley happened. She attacked her." The blonde explained and stood.

Klaus's eyes flashed with rage and kneeled down, tilting Giuliana's head to examine the wound. "That looks quite painful, love."

"You have no idea." Giuliana murmured weakly, her eyes drooping closed. Caroline had taken her chance to leave, going off to find Tyler and let him know about Hayley. Klaus brought his wrist up to his mouth, biting it and pressing it against her lips.

"Drink up, darling." He cooed and she daintily sucked down his blood, feeling it heal her broken bones and sliced skin. She held his wrist and took a few more gulps before resting her head against the bathroom wall. The bite wound had healed up nicely and the hybrid venom no longer made her insides throb.

"Keep that dog away from me before I kill her myself." She tried to stand and Klaus helped her, keeping a hand around her waist.

"Easy, love. She'll get what's coming to her." He assured her and led her out of the bathroom. Stefan met them halfway outside and his eyes were wide at the amount of blood that covered Giuliana.

"What the hell happened?" He asked them.

"One of my hybrids needs disciplining." Klaus replied quickly and handed Giuliana over to Stefan who took off his suit jacket and draped it over her. "But what I'm more concerned about is that you've been very dodgy today. Why is that, Stefan?"

The green eyed vampire shifted uncomfortably, careful to keep Giuliana upright. "I broke into your safe to look for the sword."

"Why?" Klaus asked.

"Because I don't trust you." He answered smartly.

"I showed you the sword. I explained its value. I've been on your side the entire time. What do you want from me? A secret brotherhood handshake?" The hybrid gritted.

"I found the letters. You've had a few pen pals over the centuries." Stefan told him. "I even found a few of Cassandra's."

Klaus wasn't so bothered that Klaus went through his letters, so he just smiled smugly at the young vampire. " Well, is keeping my victims' letters really so different from writing their names on a wall? Like you did, Ripper." He snickered and Stefan didn't reply. "Loneliness, Stefan. That's why you and I memorialize our dead. There's the briefest of moments before we kill where we literally hold their life in our hands and then we rip it away. And we're left with nothing. So, gathering other peoples' letters or writing their names on a wall is a reminder that in the end we're left infinitely and utterly alone." Stefan soaked in his very true words and cradled Giuliana closer to him since she was falling asleep against his shoulder. "Get her cleaned up. I hope I can trust you with that simple order." With that, Klaus left with Adrian, one of his hybrids.

"Why didn't you say I was in on the plan?" Giuliana spoke up as she tried to stand on her own two feet.

Stefan shrugged as he pulled the jacket tighter around her. "I trusted you more than him."

"Smart move." She nodded.

* * *

Arriving back at the boarding house, Damon jogged up the staircase with Cassandra clinging to him. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his hips and her lips were pressed firmly to his. He kicked the door to their bedroom closed and placed her down on the bed, hovering over her as he continued to kiss her. Ever since his proposal, Cassandra couldn't keep her hands off him as they drove home. She was overjoyed that everything was back to normal with their relationship and their marriage was bound to happen. Cassandra kicked off her boots and pulled Damon's leather jacket off his shoulders and down his strong arms, discarding it onto the floor. Just as his hands snuck up her shirt and cupped her bra, Cassandra's phone rang in the back pocket of her jeans. The two grumbled and broke apart, allowing Cassandra to get her phone.

"Hey, Elena. Woah, wait. Slow down a sec-" Damon watched her facial features dramatically shift and listed in closely.

Mayor Lockwood was dead.

"Oh my god...no. Where is Tyler now?" They both sat up now and fixed their disheveled clothing. "I don't believe this...yeah we're fine. Okay, call me if you hear anything." Cassandra hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed.

"Klaus killed Mayor Lockwood." Damon stated and she nodded solemnly.

"He drowned her in the fountain at the Charity Event." She told him and ran her hands through her hair. "Damn," Damon watched her curiously before hopping out of bed and grabbing a suitcase from the closet and setting it on the bed. "What the hell are you doing?"

"_We_ are getting the hell out of this town and getting married." He answered as he jogged back to his closet and pulled some clothes off hangers.

"What?" He returned with another suitcase, hers, and handed it to her. "Damon, we can't just up and leave."

"Why not? Things in this town will never allow us to get married, so let's take advantage of this opportunity and get out of here."

"Damon..."

"Do you remember the night of the Homecoming dance?" He asked her and she nodded. "You told me that we will always survive. So, what we're doing right now, we're surviving." Damon spoke and handed her some more clothes. She wanted to leave, she really did, but Mystic Falls was in crisis and she felt like she needed to stay.

"I just feel really selfish. We're basically picking up and leaving." Cassandra murmured as she threw some clothes in her suitcase.

"Cassandra,"

"I can't help it, Damon." She shrugged and her vampire lover was standing beside her. He took her hands in hers, halting her packing so he had her full attention.

"Listen to me, this is our time now. Not anyone else's. Ours." He spoke and looked into her beautiful brown eyes. "I know you wanted to have a big wedding with everyone there, but can we just let ourselves be selfish?" He was just doing too good of a job at convincing her and she found herself wanting to be selfish with him. Cassandra smiled at him before sidestepping him and walking to her closet. Damon raised an eyebrow but smirked when she returned with piles of clothes in her hands.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's get hitched."

* * *

**And there is it! They are finally getting married! Have a wonderful New Years everyone!**


	11. We Always Survive

**Hi all! This is a little filler, but I hope you all enjoy it anyways! Thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews :D**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

The entire journey, Cassandra battled with herself. On the one hand, she was so ecstatic and overjoyed that she would be marrying the love of her life while on the other hand, no one knew about it. The two had left Mystic Falls like a ship in the night, no note, no phone call, no text. They just packed their things and left. They wanted to keep it simple since everyone in town was up in arms about Mayor Lockwood's sudden death and they decided that they would tell everyone the news of their union when they returned.

A gentle kiss on her temple stole her away from her thoughts and she looked up at a smiling Damon. "What's on your mind?"

Cassandra let out a deep sigh, relaxing into the king-size bed. "I might look for wedding dresses tomorrow." She replied tiredly. They finally landed and Damon had a cab take them to a mansion on the coast. It was lavish and luxurious, much like the home they stayed in when they travelled to Italy.

"Good. I can't wait to see what you look like walking down the aisle." He laid down beside her and stroked through her mused hair.

"I haven't heard from Tyler." Cassandra murmured softly and Damon frowned.

"I'm sure he's fine, Cass. Keep in mind, if the kid is running, he's not gonna be answering his phone." Damon tried to reason with her.

"That's true." She shrugged and slumped into the plush mattress, closing her eyes. "It's all out of our hands now."

Damon wrapped his arms around her body, cradling her tired form to him and kissed her forehead. "We'll survive this. We always survive." His words echoed in her head and it brought her some comfort as she finally allowed herself to slip into a blissful sleep.

* * *

Cassandra tapped her foot against the marble floor of the bridal salon as she waited. She asked around and found the best one in town. Damon had gone to look for a tux and she didn't want him knowing which salon she was at. Cassandra considered herself as a pretty liberal person, but there were some things she was traditional about. She believed that it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride on the day of their wedding, for example. When she found that perfect gown, she'd also make sure to add something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue to the ensemble.

A perky clicking of heels making their way towards her made her stand to greet the woman who would be organizing her appointment. She was dressed in all black with her blonde tresses tied back into a French braid. She looked fairly young, perhaps Cassandra's age or a little older.

"Hello and welcome! My name is Tiffany." The blonde shook her hand firmly.

"Hi Tiffany. I'm Cassandra. I'm here to look for a wedding dress." Cassandra smiled.

"Great! Well, I hope I can help you find the wedding dress of your dreams." Tiffany then looked to Cassandra, "Who did you bring with you?"

Cassandra frowned and toyed with her ring. "Oh, my parents died a couple years ago and..." She trailed off. What was the point of her lying? Cassandra shook her head and looked deep into Tiffany's eyes. "Never mind about that. You will let me have the run of the floor and you can leave." Tiffany nodded blankly, taking in her new orders. "And fetch me a bottle of champagne." If she was going to pick out her wedding dress on her own, she might as well have some fun with it.

The brunette sighed as she looked at the thirty sixth dress she tried on in the mirror. It was a stunning gown, but it wasn't her. Each dress looked more beautiful than the last but none of them caught her eye. It never occurred to her that she wouldn't find her wedding dress, but now she was facing that fear. Cassandra stepped down off the pedestal and slumped down on the plush couch. The frills and ruffles of the gown engulfed her completely and she had trouble finding her champagne bottle in the jungle of white tulle.

She took a long sip, nearly guzzling the whole bottle down and hiccupping as she dropped it to the ground. Cassandra let a tear fall down her cheek as she soaked in the fact that he was completely alone. She didn't have Elena or any of her friends and family to help her. This was supposed to be a day that she would remember forever, but all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide away. She hated sneaking off and getting married behind everyone's back, but it was now or never.

"It's nice, but it's not you." Cassandra turned at the new voice to see a very familiar face standing at the edge of the couch.

"Caroline?" Cassandra's eyes widened as she sat up.

"You didn't seriously think that you'd be picking out your wedding dress alone, did you?" The blonde vampire placed her hands on her hips and tisked at Cassandra.

"Besides, your bridesmaids need dresses too." Elena chimed in along with Bonnie and the three girl smiled at Cassandra who wore a look of complete and utter blasphemy.

"You...you're here! You're all here!" She stood now and hugged the girls tightly, in awe that they had found her. Of all the places. Cassandra then pulled back, "Wait, what about what happened in Mystic Falls with the Mayor?" The face of each smiling girl sobered slightly, Caroline even frowned.

"We know what happened." Bonnie spoke.

"But, you are our friend and you need us." Elena added and rubbed Cassandra's upper arm. "I mean, it's not every day you're a bridesmaid in a hybrid/vampire wedding." She tried to make light of the situation.

"But what about Tyler?" She asked worriedly.

"Last I spoke to him he was well out of harm's way." Caroline said and Cassandra'snfears were quelled slightly. "Like Elena said, our lives are crazy and hectic, but you're getting married and we wouldn't miss it for the world.

Cassandra's eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that they had left Mystic Falls to come and help with the wedding. "I love you girls so much. You're all like the little sisters I've never had."

The girls smiled back at her and Bonnie handed her a tissue. "Now, let's get you out of this god awful thing and find you a wedding dress!" The blonde clapped.

* * *

Damon Salvatore adjusted the crisp lapels on his tuxedo jacket as he looked himself over in the mirror. He looked devilishly handsome, as if he could look any less. The women in the store where practically drooling over him and cursing themselves that they hadn't roped a man like him for themselves. In just a few days, he'd be married to the love of his life, but he couldn't help but feel that he wasn't giving Cassandra enough. He knew that she wanted a big wedding with all of her friends and family there, but because of the circumstances, it was a little difficult. No one had planned for Klaus to go rogue and kill Carol, but everyone was sent into a tailspin. He ran a hand through his dark locks, sighing a little as he nodded to the gentleman who was helping him, communicating that he'd take this tuxedo.

"Nice suit." Damon's eyes lifted to see his brother standing behind him, a wide smile on his lips.

"Hello brother." He greeted and walked towards him.

"Planning on eloping?" Stefan asked.

Damon smirked, "Mystic Falls was getting a little hectic, so Cassandra and I wanted to get away for a while."

"I can respect that, but you're really going to just skip town and not let anyone know?" Stefan's green eyes conveyed a little bit of hurt. He always looked up to his older brother and wanted to be just like him especially when they were kids. Anything Damon did, Stefan wanted to do. Even if it was something he knew that he would get in trouble with, Stefan followed his brother anywhere. The brothers were inseparable from birth but that bond was shaken when they both became vampires.

"As if you thought that I wouldn't ask you to be my best man." Damon's smirk twisted at the corners of his lips and Stefan looked back at his older brother and smiled. "Can't do this without you, Stef."

"Yeah, I mean, you're sure you wanna do this and take that plunge." He teased harmlessly and Damon let out a chuckle before looking back in the reflection again, as if waiting for reality to hit him like a runaway train, but it didn't. "You're silence is deafening."

"She's a pretty special girl." Damon nodded slowly.

"Yes, she is. A crazy girl, but a special one too." He agreed.

* * *

"God, there is so much stuff to do!" Cassandra ran her hands through her hair. Ever since the Mystic Falls gang dropped in, the list to the wedding got longer and longer. Within a few days and some vampire compulsion, they had managed to rope a venue for the reception, a venue for the ceremony, flowers, a DJ, centerpieces and tons of other things for the wedding. Phone calls were made and people were responding quickly much to Cassandra's surprise.

"Told you that we should have hired a wedding planner." Damon shrugged from his spot on the bed while he watched her assign table seating's to guests.

"You know, you could help." She grumbled and checked off some more names.

"I'd much rather watch you sweat." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. Cassandra threw him a deadly glare and he somewhat caved. "Fine. What am I doing?"

At first she picked up some tall stacks of paper but then she thought for a moment before placing them back down again. "Write your vows."

He raised a curious eyebrow, "Huh."

"Write you vows." She repeated slowly, making sure each work sunk in. "I'm writing mine, so you write yours." Cassandra stood and handed him some sheets of paper and a pencil.

Damon took up both items and moved himself to sit at the table beside her. "Sure, this'll be easy." He tapped the point of the pencil against the paper, thinking of how to start, but his bright blue eyes wandered to Cassandra who looked incredibly stressed. Her curls were tied back off her face and she chewed on her nails as she checked, double-checked, and triple-checked everything. He scooted himself closer to her and nudged her foot with his, trying to play footsie with her under the table. Her eyes met his for a quick second before returning to her work and the vampire growled. He wasn't one to be ignored. Damon stood and meandered to stand behind her. He placed his hands on his shoulders, squeezing them firmly before kneading them. The tight muscles beneath her skin relaxed and the knots melted away. Cassandra let out a long sigh and leaned back in her chair, she knew what he was trying to do but she wouldn't let him get off the hook so easily.

"Hmm, how are those vows coming along?" She asked with a little giggle.

"They'll get done." He licked the outer shell of her ear. "Right now, I want you to relax." Damon purred sensually and nibbled on her earlobe. Her eyes fell shut immediately as she squirmed in her seat. Damn that mouth and those hands of his.

"Damon..." She breathed softly and the vampire smirked, knowing that she was putty in his hands.

"Mmhmm?" Damon's lips moved down to her neck, suckling the skin.

"I was thinking," She shivered as the tips of his long fingers brushed the strap of her thin nightgown down her shoulder.

"Go on." The vampire prodded curiously and ran his lips over her shoulder. His touch left goose bumps in their wake.

"Well, this is our wedding and I think that..." Cassandra nearly had to stop herself from giggling at the thought that was going to leave her lips in the next approximately 3.5 seconds. "I think that we should wait until our wedding night." She was a traditional woman and back in 1864 it was proper for a woman to save herself for her husband on the night of their wedding. She and Damon were far from celibate, in fact they could barely keep their hands off each other, but Cassandra wanted to make their relationship a little more sacred.

"Wait for what?" Damon murmured into her skin, not really thinking over what Cassandra said. He continued to kiss her sensually but then he abruptly halted his pleasurable notions. "No..."

"Yes." She nodded and he was in front of her in an instant.

"Cassandra, you've got to be kidding me." The vampire groaned, practically pouting.

"It's just for a few days." She shrugged and rose from her seat while putting some papers back in their folders.

"I can't hold out that long." He shook his head. "That's cruel and unusual punishment!"

"Oh, please!" Cassandra exclaimed and rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine. You have your hand."

"But..."

"No butts!" Cassandra placed a finger over his lips.

"Clearly!" He mumbled against her finger before removing it. "Because I won't be getting any!"

"You think it won't affect me too?" She asked him and leaned her face in closer to his. "You think I'll be able to control myself when I hear you showering in the morning and I know that I can't join you?" Her fingertips played over the buttons of his shirt. "I'll just be thinking about your hot, wet body slamming me against the shower wall and your thick cock pounding my sweet pussy." She was practically purring as she rubbed her thumb over the button at his jeans. "Just think how tight I'll be around you on that night." Damon groaned at the incredible thought and he tightened a little more in his jeans, if that were even possible. With a flick of the wrist, the button popped open and his cock sprang free, bouncing a little and then steadying. It seemed that her dirty talk was having the desired effect.

"The second the honeymoon starts, you're mine." He ordered gruffly and pulled her body against his. She felt how hard he was and he pulsed as his hips rocked back and forth. "Every." He gave her a kiss on her lips which she tried to deepen, but he pulled back, a grin on his lips. "Single." His fingers gave a tweak at her puckered nipple through her shirt and her eyes darkened with lust. Her plan to tease the living hell out of him was backfiring. "Inch." His hand snuck between them and a finger circled over her soaked panties. "Looks like someone's ready." He smirked and continued to rub her through the material.

Cassandra moaned and gripped his cock tightly, rubbing her thumb over his head. "I could say the same about you." She then began to stroke him at a tantalizingly slow pace that made the vampire grit his teeth.

"Then how about we stop stalling and give each other what we want?" Damon offered, hopeful that she had forgotten about her traditional idea.

"That sounds nice," She squeezed him experimentally and leaned in closely, his lips hovering just over his. "But, I have a lot of stuff to finish before the wedding." With that, she flashed across the room from him and leaned against the door frame, smirking teasingly at him.

"You're a little tease." Damon growled, his fangs flashing a little.

"Tell me something I don't know." Cassandra giggled. "You might wanna take care of that." She nodded towards his cock which was still exposed and the vampire rolled his eyes.

This would be the longest few days before the wedding that Damon would ever know.

* * *

**Please review :D**


	12. Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue

**Hi all! Here it finally is! The wedding of all weddings! I spent a lot of time writing this out and I think I've got it right. Thanks to everyone who has helped this story reach 200 reviews and I can't wait to have you read this chapter!**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

"No, Damon, you can't come in!" Elena yelled threw the closed door.

"Oh, come on! Please?" He begged.

"It's bad luck to see the bride." She chided.

From another room, Cassandra giggled as she sat on the edge of her bed, her intense vampire hearing was able to pick up everything. With the girl's help, she'd picked out the perfect wedding dress, tiara, and veil. The past few days had been a complete blur and it was now time for her to become Mrs. Salvatore. The hybrid was nervous, but anxious to get things started. It seemed like just yesterday Damon had proposed to her in that charming Italian mansion and she was now counting down the minutes until she'd be walking down the aisle. She stood and smoothed out her dress before unlocking her door and moving into the next room that held her bridesmaids.

"Well, ladies. How do I look?" All three heads turned and each girl let out a gasp. They gaped at Cassandra's gown, mouths hung open as they took in each and every detail. It was a perfect fit, like it was made just for her. It wasn't completely white, it was an ivory colored gown with beading along the bodice and full skirt. A sweetheart neckline was beaded as well and the back zipper was lined with buttons. A sparkling tiara was perched on her head and her chocolate curls spilled in long waves down her back and over her shoulders. Cassandra looked at each girl who was still silent and narrowed her smoky eyes. "Someone please say something!"

"You look..."

"Perfect!"

"Oh, that dress!"

All of the girls squealed and jumped on her, embracing her tightly and Elena handed Cassandra her bouquet of red roses that was studded with little diamond crystals.

"Something new." Elena smiled.

Caroline stepped forward and handed her an open box which held a pair of diamond earrings. "Something borrowed." Cassandra clipped the earring backs into place as Bonnie fiddled with a blue garter in her hands.

"This is more Caroline's idea than mine, but here's something blue." The girls giggled and helped Cassandra to hold up her gown as she slipped it up her leg.

"Hmm, now we need something old." Cassandra mused and all of the girls frowned, they had forgotten that one.

"I think I'm old enough." Their attention was suddenly snapped towards the door to see a man in a suit come into the room. Elijah ran a hand through his still short hair and Cassandra nearly wanted to shout for joy.

"Well, it's go time!" Caroline cheered and ushered the two other bridesmaids out of the room, leaving Elijah and Cassandra alone.

"You came." She whispered quietly as tears welled in her eyes. Cassandra had called asking if he would walk her down the aisle and give her away since her father was long gone, but she hadn't heard back from him until now. Elijah had always been like a father to her. Sure, they had their fights, some of them were more like blowouts, but in the end, she knew that he always looked out for her.

"I wouldn't miss this day for anything. You know that." He pulled a handkerchief from inside his jacket and dabbed the little tears that began to fall. "Come now. No more tears. You'll ruin your make up."

"I'm just so happy." Cassandra smiled brightly and threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

Elijah embraced her back before pulling back and holding her shoulders, looking her over. "You are the most beautiful bride. Damon is a very lucky man."

The woman sniffled back a few more tears and ran a hand along the bodice of her dress, ironing out any creases. With a nod of approval from Elijah, she grinned. "I'm ready."

* * *

Damon's hand twitched nervously as he stood on the alter and looked over everyone in the church. This was it. Today was the day. He peered up at the clock on the wall for the millionth time.

Late.

She was running late.

The vampire's jaw twitched slightly, Cassandra wasn't getting cold feet was she? He twisted his daylight ring around nervously on his fingers. He certainly hoped that after all this planning and waiting that he didn't have a runaway bride on his hands.

"Relax, brother." Stefan placed a firm hand on his shoulder and squeezed a little. Damon was never one to show his nervousness, but he was seconds away from pacing the alter. He was going to reply, but everyone in the church stood and turned to the back doors of the church as the organ cued up a simple melody. Damon swallowed a nervous lump in his throat as the doors opened and members of the bridal party filed in. First was one of Cassandra little nieces, she wore a frilly dress and carried a basket of flower petals. She would strategically place flower petals down as if she had practiced for that job a million times. Behind her was the ring bearer and then the bridesmaids. Elena was first and then followed by Caroline and Bonnie. Damon heard Stefan's breath catch as Elena entered and he smirked a little. Even though they were still on the outs, they still hadn't managed to stop their longing glances. The organ playing stopped and was then switched to Pachelbel Canon in D as Cassandra and Elijah appeared at the back of the church. The entire church rose to their feet and the two started to walk down the aisle.

Cassandra took a deep breath before taking that very first step and Elijah linked his arm with hers. They paced themselves and Cassandra looked at each smiling face through the shroud of her veil. She felt the overwhelming need to cry again when her eyes met Damon's. He looked so handsome and a bit terrified standing on the alter but she was scared too. Perhaps it was a mutual fear they shared for the time being, but it was soon melting away with each confident step she made towards him. Finally reaching the foot of the alter, Elijah turned to Cassandra and lifted the veil off her face. She smiled at him and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. Cassandra stepped up onto the alter.

The priest then read through the ceremony but Damon and Cassandra were in their own world. Bits and pieces of words swirled around them, but they just couldn't take their eyes off of one another. Vows were exchanged, composed and handwritten by each of them while everyone in the church shed tears at the sincerity of their promises to one another. Damon slid the wedding band on her finger, the entire thing was encrusted with diamonds and Cassandra gave Damon his own simple band.

There was just one thing left to do.

"You may now kiss your bride." The pastor said proudly and Damon removed the veil from her face. Cassandra smiled brightly as Damon cupped her cheeks and kissed her passionately. Everyone in the pews stood up and cheered loudly. They whistled and clapped as the couple on the alter shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Damon pulled back slightly, but Cassandra gripped the collar of his suit and brought his lips back down to hers. Her bridesmaids all whooped and laughed while the men whistled. They broke the kiss shortly thereafter and Cassandra smirked at him. Damon laced his fingers with hers and they made the trip back down the aisle.

* * *

"Come on! You're late!" Caroline snapped as she zipped up Cassandra's second wedding dress. It was a lot sexier and less traditional than the first and rightly so since it was time to party and dance the night away. It was a long ivory gown that conformed to her curves and showed enough skin to still keep her modesty. Crystals sparkled as she jogged down the long corridors and met Damon standing by the doors of the room.

"I'm ready to party, Mr. Salvatore." She grinned from ear to ear and twirled in her new dress. His eyes practically eating her up and he was nearly drooling.

"Well, Mrs. Salvatore, if I wasn't such a gentleman, I'd have to steal you away from here and ravish you." He smirked.

"You can ravish me later." Cassandra giggled and kissed him gently.

The couple was announced and they walked into the room, greeted by smiling faces and cheering. Damon pulled his new wife close, his arms wrapping around her as their song for their first dance played from the speakers.

_Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave?  
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall  
But watching you stand alone?  
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow  
_

_One step closer_

_I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more  
_

Cassandra leaned her forehead against his and she let a few more tears go. She was just overwhelmed with emotion and this day couldn't get any more perfect. Their wedding song was one of her favorite songs ever since she heard it on the Breaking Dawn soundtrack. Damon grumbled when she suggested it for their wedding song, he argued that their love was a lot stronger than Bella and Edward's. As soon as Cassandra heard it, it always reminded her of their own special relationship. Her gaze even caught sight of Stefan and Elena dancing together, she hoped deep down that they would fix everything between them. Cassandra really liked Elena even after all of their past arguments and knew that she was good for Stefan.

"What's on your mind?" Damon's rumbling chest brought her attention away from Stefan and Elena and back to him.

She shook her head and just smiled. "I'm just living in the moment. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that we're married."

"Yep. You're stuck with me, babe." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Cassandra beamed and he nudged his nose against hers.

_Time stands still  
Beauty in all she is  
I will be brave  
I will not let anything take away  
What's standing in front of me  
Every breath  
Every hour has come to this_

_One step closer_

_I have died everyday waiting for you_  
_Darling don't be afraid I have loved you_  
_For a thousand years_  
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_And all along I believed I would find you_  
_Time has brought your heart to me_  
_I have loved you for a thousand years_  
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_One step closer_  
_One step closer_

"What are the plans for the honeymoon?" Cassandra asked him curiously as she peered up at him through her long, thick eyelashes that were painted with mascara.

Damon wiggled his eyebrows and placed a quick peck on her lips. "Wherever we wanna go. How about Paris? Italy? Spain?"

"I don't care where we go as long as I'm with you." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I just can't wait to escape Mystic Falls and not be bothered by anyone."

"Tell me about it! You better not pick up that cell phone of yours." He challenged and she raised a playful eyebrow.

"Or what?" She teased.

"I can't exactly say it now because there are vampires and children present." The vampire purred in her ear.

"Looks like I'll have to test you on the honeymoon." Her brown eyes twinkled and she bit her bottom lip.

_I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

_And all along I believed I would find you_  
_Time has brought your heart to me_  
_I have loved you for a thousand years_  
_I'll love you for a thousand more_

Damon spun her out and twirled her back into him. He then dipped her romantically and kissed her softly, earning a few claps and cheers from the people watching them. This night was truly magical and it was one that she'd never forget.

* * *

The party was in full swing now and Cassandra found herself sneaking over to the wedding cake. The high tiers were decorated with eatable flowers and frosting, the hybrid licked her lips and snatched up a spoon from a nearby table. She'd always had a sweet tooth. With careful hands, took the tiniest spoonful from the side of the cake and was sure to smooth the frosting back over it. Glancing over her shoulder, she snuck a bite and reveled in the moist fluffy cake and the sweet frosting.

"I saw that." She abruptly turned, knowing she'd gotten caught, but her mouth was slightly agape for a different reason.

"Tyler!" She hushed and hugged the hybrid. This wedding was just full of surprises.

"Great party, Cassandra." He smiled and kissed her cheek.

The female hybrid only let her happiness last for a moment as she frowned. "I am so sorry about your mother, Tyler. She was a great lady, and a kickass Mayor."

Tyler chuckled at that. "Thanks. She would go crazy for this wedding. I know she would."

"Thank you so much for coming." She smiled.

"Don't forget about me, darling." Klaus appeared behind Tyler and they both tensed.

"Tyler, you have to run. Now." She told him, but he held his ground, his eyes locked with Klaus's. The Original hybrid sped forward but Cassandra blocked his path. "You will not touch him." She seethed and Klaus peered down at the livid bride before looking back to Tyler.

"Run along, mate. I'll give you a head start." He growled and Tyler turned on his heel, leaving without another word.

"Leave." Damon joined them now and cupped the back of Cassandra's neck protectively.

"Now just a moment, Damon. I just arrived and I think that I have yet to wear out my welcome." Klaus replied smartly.

"You are not welcome here!" The bride clenched her fists at her side.

"I thought so since I didn't receive an invitation." He smirked. "Perhaps it got lost in the mail."

"You wish!" Damon scoffed.

"Aunt Cassie! Aunt Cassie!" The flower girl lightly tugged at the bottom of Cassandra's dress and she looked down, smiling at the little girl. "Is it time for cake yet?"

Cassandra gave a hard look back to Klaus before picking up the girl and sitting her on her hip. "Almost, sweetheart." She kissed the girl on the cheek.

"Aunt Cassie, who's that?" The girl pointed at Klaus.

"He is no one." Cassandra quickly snapped and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"My name is Klaus, sweetheart. What's your name?" He spoke to the girl who held Cassandra's arm.

"Klaus is a funny name." She giggled and waved her hand. "I'm Laura."

"Laura, sweetie? How about you go dance with mommy?" Cassandra's smile persuaded the little girl from staying longer and talking with this new stranger and she set her.

"Okay! Bye Aunt Cassie! Bye Damon!" She blew them kisses and darted off.

"She's a cute little thing." Klaus smirked and was promptly met with the palm of Cassandra's hand across his cheek. The hit was loud enough for any supernatural's to hear over the music and they even heard Klaus growling.

"Get out and leave my family alone." She demanded firmly. Klaus's pale blue eyes flashed with the slightest ounce of amber before returning back to their normal color. He looked over their shoulders to see Stefan, Elena and the rest of the Mystic Falls gang standing there with glares upon their faces. Klaus was clearly outnumbered and without a word, he turned on his heel and left. Cassandra let out a breath she hadn't realized that she was holding in and shook slightly with the fear that Klaus might have done something unspeakable. Damon held her tightly and kissed behind her ear, trying to calm her nerves. They certainly hadn't expected Klaus to show up.

Klaus hadn't showed up again and for that, everyone was grateful. Cassandra and Damon were now free to enjoy the festivities. After feeding each other cake, Cassandra tossed the bouquet and it landed in Elena's hands, who blushed beat red. Damon had the immense pleasure of removing Cassandra's garter with this teeth and Stefan was the one who caught it when it was thrown. Cassandra thought that Elena couldn't get any redder but she was proved wrong when a tipsy Stefan slid the garter up her leg. It was fun to watch Stefan get drunk and loosen up, Cassandra made a note to herself to try and get him drunk more often.

* * *

At the end of the night, Damon and Cassandra bid their guests goodbye and thanked them immensely for coming. Guests were chattering excitedly and wishing that the party could go on forever, but most of their little ones were falling asleep on their parents shoulders.

"I feel so close to you right now! It's a force field! I wear my heart upon my sleeve like a big deal!" Cassandra sang drunkenly as she sipped from her own personal champagne bottle and traipsed up the walkway of their mansion. Damon chuckled amusedly and watched her prance around with bare feet while her free hand was clutching the bottom of her dress. She was singing some pop song they had played at the wedding and she was very out of tune. Their wedding night had been absolutely unforgettable, but the fun certainly wasn't stopping. Tomorrow they would be leaving for their honeymoon and they still had packing to do, however Damon's mind was worrying about that.

7 days.

7 days he'd gone without and those were the longest days of his eternal life.

His new wife had kept her word and she surprisingly was able to stick to it. Sure, she was tempted to jump him and vice versa, but the two of them kept their teasing to a minimum and exchanged longing glances at one another to make the days pass by a little quicker. He snuck behind he still singing wife and scooped her up in his arms bridal style.

"You scared me, Mr. Salvatore!" She squealed and looped her arms around his neck, one fist still curled around the neck of the champagne bottle.

"My God, how much did you drink?" He could smell the alcohol on her breath. Damon carried her over the threshold, mindful to duck her head in on the side so it wouldn't get smacked by the doorframe.

"A lot!" She cheered and placed the bottle down on the end table by the door. "Maaann! That was such a fun wedding!" She slurred, dropping her shoes as she slid out of Damon's grip. "Why didn't we get married sooner?"

"Because Mystic Falls likes to interfere with everything." Damon whined and ushered her upstairs to their bedroom, that is, if he could get her to walk up the steps without falling on her face. Watching her struggle, he vamp sped them to their room and she wobbled slightly.

"Woooaahh! Vampire speed is fun when you're drunk!" She giggled drunkenly and fused with the buttons running down the back of her dress. If only she could reach them.

Damon laughed aloud seeing her flail her arms around as she tried to grasp the buttons. "Let me." He stood behind her and swooped her hair off her neck. Cassandra shivered against him and leaned further into his touch.

"That tickles." Her voice was breathy and Damon placed a kiss under her earlobe, making her giggling and hiccup.

"Does it now?" He teased and took his index finger, hovering it just over her skin and down her neck till it reached the first button which sat at her mid-back. With a simple flick, it opened up and Damon continued to open up the back of her dress. As each button opened, more and more of her perfect skin was exposed and the vampire grew hungry at the sight of her wedding lingerie.

"I'm sleepy." Cassandra mumbled and turned to face him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and sighed. Damon swept an arm under her knees, cradling her to him and he could see that she was quickly falling asleep. Looks like a night of unbridled passion wasn't on the menu.

"My little drunk wife." Damon shook his head and placed her down on the bed. Her wedding dress cascaded over her body and she turned over onto her pillows, hugging them to her.

"Sexy." She murmured. "You forgot sexy."

"How could I forget?" His lips pressed against her temple and her eyelids fluttered closed, her long lashes fanning over her face. "I love you." Each word caressed her gently and she smiled in her sleep.

"Love you." Her voice was quiet, but he heard her. Damon sighed deeply, upset that he wouldn't be enjoying his wife to the fullest, but he wasn't one to deprive her of sleep. They still had the honeymoon so he was looking forward to escaping. He slithered out of his tux and changed into nothing but a pair of boxer briefs before settling in bed with Cassandra. He looked her over once more and smiled, even when she was sleeping, she was a vision of exquisite beauty. The vampire snuck a quick kiss and let his own eyes close, giving in to the idea of a blissful sleep.

Hard muscle and soft linen sheets contrasted magnificently as Cassandra stared down at her perfect husband. The covers were thrown around on the bed and his arm was propped over his head as he laid on his back. The bed sheets were wrapped around his narrow hips and she could spy the waistband of his underwear. Her mouth watered and she swallowed. Perfection. That's what he was.

She'd only fallen asleep for a half hour, but now she was fully refreshed. It was still dark out, but the sky was starting to lighten as dawn approached. Her dress was now crumpled on the floor and she stood just in her new lingerie set. Caroline and the girls had helped to pick it out for her and all of them agreed that it would make Damon's mouth water. Her curls toppled over her shoulders, the tips spilling over her white lace bra and corset. She normally wasn't a woman to wear white, but she figured that their wedding night was as good a time as ever to try it out. A white lace thong stretched over her hips, the material looking almost paper thin. Cassandra crawled onto the bed, careful not to wake her husband until when she wanted to. His eyes moved back and forth beneath his lids, he must be dreaming. She leaned down and placed a fleeting, ghosting kiss on each eyelid. The vampire stirred as Cassandra continued to press the softest of kisses on his skin. Crystalline orbs peered into warm brown ones just as her lips brushed over the waistband of his boxer briefs.

Not a word was spoken between the two as they held each other's stares. Silence surrounded them and all that could be heard was their gentle breaths and the occasional chirp from a cricket outside. Damon's finger found its way under her chin and she travelled up his body until their lips were just mere seconds away from touching. His hands held her hips and tested out the white lace for which Cassandra earned a grunt of approval.

They were unsure on who finally closed the distance between them, but their lips moved over one another's like their lives depended on it. The kiss was sensual and slow, lethargic. Almost how honey drools from a container when being poured. His snuck swiped across her bottom lip and she opened immediately, allowing him to slip inside and toy with hers. She cupped his cheeks and gently scratched at the hair at the nape of his neck and Damon purred in pleasure, smiling against her smooth lips.

Damon suddenly pinned Cassandra down the mattress and he hovered above her, bracing himself on his hands. He then took a chance to really appreciate her lingerie, or lack thereof. The entire corset was sheer, the lace looking as if it was tattooed onto her skin. His teeth latched onto the thin zipper that ran up the middle and dragged it down, inch by tantalizing inch until it opened. Her proud, perky breasts sprung free and the chill of the air made her dusky nipples peak. The vampire yanked off the rest of the fabric and discarded it. His hands grasped her breasts and kneaded them with such care and tenderness as Cassandra let little moans pass her lips. The vampire kissed every inch of skin he could get his lips on as he reached the hem of her white thong. His teeth pulled at the fabric, teasing her, but in a sudden rush, she was flipped over onto her stomach. Cassandra was going to protest but her brain stopped working all together when she felt his groin press into her behind. She keened out into her pillow and gripped it tightly as he rocked his hips back and forth. Fingertips lightly skimmed over her shoulders and back, the same trail was made by his lips and they stopped to give her the occasional nip or kiss. Damon reached the swell of her behind and propped Cassandra up onto her knees with her chest still pressed into the mattress. He fingered the lace and licked his lips at the thought of ripping the flimsy fabric off her, but with careful hands, he slid the material over her butt and down her legs before leaving it forget on the floor.

"God..." He murmured and kissed the smooth skin while also rubbing his palms in circles over her cheeks. He gave a firm squeeze and lightly spanked her a few times, he'd hardly even call it a spank because his touch was so light. Lips danced onward till they reached her quivering nether lips and a long lick ran up and down her slit. Cassandra whimpered and craned her behind up even more, moving towards this teasing touches. He smirked against her lips and gave her the softest of kisses there.

His wife blurred them suddenly and Damon was sitting up against the headboard with Cassandra on her knees by his side. She angled herself to face his lower body which was still sheathed in those damn boxer briefs and set his cock free. "It's your night too." She spoke and kissed his swollen head. The vampire groaned appreciatively as she darted her tongue out from between her lips. He watched her trace and draw lines over his twitching cock with her tongue and combed through her long curls, moving them to make sure that he could see her every move. Pouty lips enveloped his head and her hand curled around the shaft to stroke him firmly. She suckled, keeping her head still while moving her hand at different speeds and Damon knew he wouldn't last long if she kept that up. Deciding to go back to his previous efforts, Damon brushed a finger up and down her slit, earning a low moan from his wife. A quick flick at her clit made her jump but once two of his fingers were stuffed inside her, she was pacified. Her pace slightly quickened as she stroked him and inch by inch, his cock went further into her mouth. Damon scissored his fingers within her to stretch her enough since she was incredibly tight. He growled animalistically in the back of his throat at the divine moment when he'd be nestled inside her. Cassandra's hips bucked against his hand, a plea for him to stop stalling and he did. He worked her with slow deep pumps while his eyes were stuck on the sight of his cock down her throat. Her hand cupped his heavy sac, gently massaging and she felt him tug at her hair with the hand that wasn't buried inside her. Wanting to maximize her pleasure, he leaned down to her behind, which was propped up quite nicely near his face, and licked around her other hole. She nearly choked on his massive cock as his tongue swirled around it. It unclenched slightly and Damon slipped his pinky inside. Cassandra had to let go of his cock for fear she'd swallow whole and peered over her shoulder at Damon who was lazily licking her as his fingers moved inside her. He smirked at her and wiggled his pinky teasingly. She bit her bottom lip and gripped his cock, giving it a hard tug before stuffing it back in her mouth again. Her legs quivered with the threat of giving out but she continued to work him. He was so hard in her mouth but the skin on his shaft was velvety smooth. She bobbed up and down on his thick length, the sounds of her moaning around his cock was making Damon's eyes cross. He was going to come soon.

Fingers curled inside her, massaging the spongy tissue and Cassandra gave a scream, her orgasm was approaching. The vaginal and anal penetration would send her rocketing and she deep throated Damon before closing her throat and swallowing. He grunted low in his chest and rocked his hips, thrusting his cock in and out of the tight cavern of her throat. Slowly, she removed him from her mouth, her fangs brushing him just slightly and he glistened with her saliva. Cassandra then took his cock in her hands and twisted her wrists as she pumped him. Damon sighed and pressed his lips to her right cheek, lightly biting at the skin and then his fangs also emerged, eager to play and toy with her. His working fingers felt the tell tale clench of her walls and knew she was on the edge of glory. Cassandra lovingly kissed his inner thigh, her lips sucking and her tongue swiping over his skin while Damon did the same to her behind. A sudden rush of white hot pleasure engulfed him as she pierced his inner thigh with her sharp set of double fangs. He came almost instantly, shouting and exploding like he never had before. Hot ropes of sticky release spurted from his head and coated her hands and she moaned huskily, a plea for him to get her off. One, two, three thrusts and a slice of his fangs into her cheek made Cassandra's body undulate off the bed. She shook as she came around him, her walls squeezing and contracting around his still moving fingers. Her juices dribbled from her lips and Damon eagerly cleaned her off as she did to him. Cassandra leaned her head on his thigh and licked the remnants of his delicious blood off her lips, the taste of him and his release was ever so satisfying. She locked gazes with him just as he pressed a soft kiss to her healing wound, the skin was still sensitive and she gave a tiny moan. Their eyes, dark with a lust for blood and their bodies. She was then below him once more in a rush and his lips crushed down on hers. Her fingers weaved through his hair and pulled him closer.

"I need you now." He gritted against her lips, taking the bottom one and grinding it in between his teeth.

"Then take me." Her husky whisper reached his ears and it went straight to his now hardening cock. He gripped himself in his hand, stroking for a moment or two to get himself at full mast, and brought his cock close to her wet heat. Damon smacked her clit with his cock a few times, enjoying the view of her body wriggling with pleasure. "You're stalling, Salvatore." She warned and trailed her foot up his side. Damon's playful gaze hardened as he eased just his head inside her. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, she was so incredibly tight around him that he had to still himself to get used to how tightly her walls were hugging him.

"Oh fuck..." He breathed and stroked the rest of his shaft in great haste.

"Damon," Cassandra gasped and played with her clit, her fingers running wild circles around her swollen button. "More, please. I want all of you inside me." She begged as her walls stretched to accommodate him. Once Damon regained his control, somewhat, he pushed the rest of his shaft inside her till he filled her completely. She moaned out, never feeling so full in her entire life as she continued to work her clit.

"So fucking tight." Damon groaned and gently pulled his hips back before rocking into her. "You feel so fucking good. I can't believe you made me wait this long."

Cassandra smirked and wrapped her legs around him. "It was worth it, right?"

"Oh, it was. I was dreaming about when I'd finally be inside you again." His pace was enough for her to keep up with as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"I know. You'd spill all over the sheets and I wanted to clean you up so bad." Cassandra pouted and rose her hips to meet his.

"I'd hear you in the shower using that damn pink vibrator." He growled and held her hips so tightly she bruised. "You made me so fucking hard, you know that?" She nodded, her eyes falling closed as each thrust brushed her g-spot and his pubic bone mashed against her clit. "I'd hear you fuck yourself on it and I wanted nothing more than to bend you over and really make you come."

"Someone's jealous of my vibrator." She giggled and in a quick rush, her chest was pressed up against the wall and Damon was ruthlessly fucking her from behind. A hand tunneled in her long hair and yanked her head back, exposing her neck to him.

"I'm not jealous." His gruffness made her throb around him. "I just think that I can do a better job than a toy."

"Show me then." She challenged. "Make me come so hard I'll forget my own name."

"Gladly." Damon bit roughly at her neck and pounded into her with reckless abandon. Skin slapped against skin and beads of sweat rolled down their bodies as they merged into one soul.

"Full...I'm so full." She moaned and her nails crunched into the paint and dry wall that she was currently being fucked against. "You feel so good, Damon." Damon smirked against her neck and wrapped his arms tighter around her torso as he took control.

"Let me hear you." He ordered, his teeth nibbling her skin.

"God, right there!" Her back snapped as he brushed the right angle inside her. "Shit, yes! Ah, oh God. Right there!" She was shaking with pleasure and her nails lengthened as she felt her inner wolf start to emerge.

"My name's Damon." He chuckled in her ear.

"Shut up and kiss me, Salvatore." Amber eyes peered at him over her shoulder and he cupped her neck, smashing his lips onto hers. His tongue circled around her double set of sharp fangs while she scratched her own against the points of his. The vampire slipped a strong arm around her waist and tapped against her clit. Cassandra's legs wobbled and she tore her lips away from his, throwing her head back and crying out in pure ecstasy. "Damon...Damon..."

"Tell me, Cass." The blue eyed vampire purred and licked up the column of her neck.

"I'm...I'm-" She stammered.

"Come, Cassandra. Come hard for me." His words shot her into her second orgasm of the night and she crumbled around his rigid cock. Walls fluttered wildly, squeezing and massaging him tightly. Damon hissed into her neck as he hugged her tightly to him and his own orgasm made his body tremble. Their juices mixed inside her core, culminating the climax of their lovemaking and Cassandra collapsed weakly. She braced her hands on the wall and Damon's body covered hers. They panted and leaned on one another as they came down from their incredible highs. Eyes fell closed and Cassandra whimpered as he pulled out of her. She immediately missed the feeling of him buried inside her core. He placed the softest kisses along her shoulders and she fell back against him weakly.

"Alright, now I'm sleepy." She whispered tiredly.

"So sleep." Damon's arms enveloped her and soon a plush mattress was felt under her back. She felt the soft skim of the sheets being pulled over her and the hard contours of his body snuggling against hers. Cassandra hummed happily and laid her head on his chest as a pair of lips kissed her hair.

* * *

**And there you have it! Any ideas for honeymoon plans? I'm not sure if I'll write a chapter or two with their honeymoon or if I should just jump back into the show once it airs again. Let me know what you'd like to see and I hope you enjoyed this :D**


	13. Eres el amor de mi vida

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 13: Eres el amor de mi vida [You are the love of my life]**

**Beta:**** un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

Toes curled and bodies trembled as the newlyweds met their completion once again. Cassandra ground her hips against Damon's as she rode her orgasm and Damon let his cock twitch and spill his hot ropes inside her. The hybrid let herself come down from her incredible high and rolled off her husband to lie next to him. Eyes fluttered closed as the both of them soaked up the afterglow of making love to one another, a pleasure that had indulged in since they arrived in Spain. The days blurred together as they enjoyed the sights, sounds, foods, and each other. Neither of them had received any news from anyone in Mystic Falls and they were both grateful for that. Perhaps they all could take a hint and leave the married couple alone.

Damon slipped his arms around Cassandra's waist and situated her so that he was hovering over her. "Hi."

Cassandra's eyes fluttered open but she had a hard time keeping them that way. "Hello."

"I think we're going for a world record." The vampire smirked and licked a trail of sweat off her neck.

"I lost count somewhere along the way." She admitted and squirmed at the feel of his tongue on her. She knew the power that tongue had over her.

"Well, we could always start over again." His cock was now hard once again and he took a brief moment to thank God for his vampire stamina.

"Damon, we've been in bed for three days!" She exclaimed.

He gave a wide smirk. "I know." Morning, afternoon, and night they made love for three straight days. It was glorious and the pleasure they both felt was indescribable. Aside from showering, which they ended up making love there, and feeding, they didn't feel the need to leave their apartment in Spain. "Why don't you relax? You've been doing all the work the past few rounds. Let me return the favor." He offered and gently rubbed his thick shaft against her wetness.

"Don't you want to go out and explore?" She asked and leaned on her side.

"What I want to explore, is your body." The vampire wrapped an arm around her waist, yanking her to him and ran his large hands all over her naked skin. "I just can't get enough of you."

"I can say the same about you." Cassandra grinned and ran her fingers through his hair. Just as she leaned in to kiss him, her phone rang from the bedside table. She growled under her breath and reached for it, but Damon gripped her wrist.

"Don't you dare." He threatened darkly. She ignored him and reached again, causing Damon to reach too and knock the phone onto the floor.

"Damon!" She whined but he just gritted his teeth. He pinned her down to the mattress and straddled her hips as the phone still rang.

"You thought I was joking about answering you phone?" He sneered and gripped her wrists, slamming them down to the plush mattress.

"But-" Her voice broke when his hips thrust against hers. She felt his rigid cock through the blankets and suddenly her cell phone didn't seem so important.

"What was that? I didn't hear you." Damon teased and rocked his cock into her again. "I want to play a game."

"You love your games." Cassandra spoke and tried to wrestle her arms free.

"Nah, ah. I'm in control now." He shook his head at her.

Cassandra pouted and relaxed into the bed. "Well, then Mr. Salvatore. What are the rules?"

"No moving or talking." He said.

"That's it? And then I can have my phone back? Sounds easy enough." She shrugged.

"Hmm, if you think so." Damon removed the sheets off the bed, leaving her naked body to only his eyes. He pressed himself against her, leaving their lips just inches from one another. With testing hands, he removed his grip from her wrists and held her hips. A gentle swipe of his tongue across her lips nearly made her shiver, but she held back, remembering his rules. "Good girl." He purred and covered her lips with his as a reward. Cassandra would never get used to his kisses. They were addicting and intoxicating. The vampire bucked his hips and Cassandra threaded her hands into his hair, eager to taste more of him, but she had broken his rule. Cold metal engulfed her wrists and a clicking sound could be heard from above her head. Opening her eyes, Damon was leaning up now and she tried to as well, however a pair of handcuffs halted her from doing so.

"Mr. Salvatore," She tisked.

"That's two rules broken." He spoke sternly and frowned down at her. "Looks like you'll have to be punished." Cassandra was ready to reply, but she stopped herself. She didn't move, she didn't speak. Damon grinned approvingly before leaning down once more. He still had to give her the consequence for breaking two rules. His large hand cupped her core, keeping his eyes locked with hers. She remained still even though her lust was clouding her judgment, telling her to writhe and whimper. Damon smirked and danced his fingers along her nether lips, gracing just over her entrance but not slipping inside. Cassandra was growing impatient very quickly but she stayed still. A long finger glided inside her walls and they clenched, welcoming him as he pumped inside her for a moment or two. His lips latched onto her left breast, suckling the nipple into his hot mouth. His tongue lapped at it, taking a few swipes and it slightly puckered. Another two fingers entered her and she swallowed her moans of pleasure. He tugged at her g-spot and Cassandra fought the urge to undulate her hips or scream out. Damon somewhat growled annoyingly that she was doing so well and removed his fingers from her.

"Well, you survived your punishment, so I should give you some kind of reward." He mused and Cassandra's brown eyes begged him. He ran the index finger that was inside her over her lips, "Open." She complied and his finger slipped inside her mouth. "Suck." He commanded and she closed her lips around the digit, suckling and swirling her tongue around. He repeated the process with each finger that played inside her until they were sucked clean and Cassandra still hadn't said a word or moved any other body part besides her mouth. "Would you like to speak or move?"

"Considering I'm handcuffed, I'll speak." She breathed.

"Good answer." Damon smirked. "I love hearing you scream out for me when you're just on the edge."

"You know, it's not nice to deny your wife of what she wants." She frowned.

"You'll get what you want." He assured her and tested the handcuffs with a little pull.

"Kinky." She teased.

"You have no idea what kinky fantasies run around in my head."

"Enlighten me." Cassandra challenged with a grin playing on her face.

Damon's lips twisted into a smirk as he leaned down to her, his body covered hers and she soaked in his warmth. His fingers danced over her naked body, making little goose bumps erupt over her skin. "I want to keep you handcuffed like this and make you my pet. I want to dominate every inch of your body. I want to be the only one who can bring you to the edge and take it away from you."

"Can I make a request?" She asked hopefully and Damon pursed his lips.

"That all depends." He stared down at her.

"Since I survived your punishment, can I have my phone back?" She didn't think that he was going to give it to her, but he grabbed her iPhone from off the floor and dropped it onto the bed. He snapped the handcuff off her wrists and Cassandra leaned up, kissing his cheek lovingly, "Thank you." She dialed the last number that called her and was greeted by Elena's cheery voice.

_"Hey! How's the honeymoon going?"_

"It's amazing!" Cassandra beamed. "I don't want to come home."

_"Where are you guys again?"_ The vampire asked and Cassandra didn't notice that Damon had snuck out of the room.

"We're in Spain and it is so beautiful." She smiled and played with the sheets around her. While she was excitedly telling Elena about the private tour they had taken through the Granada Gardens, Damon appeared and he produced a can of whipped cream from behind his back. The vampire shook it with the most devilish look across his lips. She bit her lip as he sauntered closer and his index finger tapped against her lips. She opened them obediently and he inserted the nozzle. Pressing down on it, the milky, sweet, cream filled her mouth and she licked it up eagerly. Damon then removed the nozzle and pressed his lips to hers, his tongue darting out and tasting the whipped cream.

_"That sounds beautiful! I'd love to go to Spain. Tell me more about your trip!"_ Elena asked.

Cassandra watched as Damon slithered along her body and wiggled his eyebrows, challenging her to keep up the phone conversation. "Well, the gardens were amazing. I've never seen so many gorgeous flowers and beautiful birds in my life." The gardens really were a wonderful sight to see, she had managed to get Damon out of bed for a couple of hours to take a tour and they both had a great time. Damon shook the can again, this time positioning it over her right breast. The nozzle erupted and the chill of the whipped cream made Cassandra gasp out. "And the food is..." She trialed off, trying to cover it up. Her breasts were so sensitive from his previous torture and they strained slightly. Once a nice sized dollop covered her nipple Damon took his sweet time lapping it up. She peered down at him, watching his tongue swipe against her raw skin and the mound of cream. Finally, Damon engulfed her entire nipple in his mouth and sucked every last bit of sweetness from her breast. Cassandra writhed, growling in the back of her throat animalistically that she could only watch and not partake in the fun since she was on the phone. Damon repeated the same procedure on her left breast and some whipped cream decorated his lips. The hybrid licked her own lips and her mouth watered at the thought of cleaning it off his mouth. He smirked at her before letting his tongue swipe away the remaining cream.

"Delicious," Damon purred.

_"Oh, I can imagine."_ Elena bellyached. _"Not to mention you have hot Spanish guys bringing you your food."_

Cassandra smirked and Damon pressed the nozzle against her swollen clit, daring her to say what was on her mind. "Yeah, they are really hot." It was the vampire's turn to growl and sprayed her entire pussy with whipped cream. It felt so cold on her slick lips and clit that she was sure she'd get off on that. Once she was completely covered, Damon took a moment to admire his work. Her pussy looked good enough to eat but it needed something else. From the jar beside him, he plucked a cherry and placed it right at her clit.

"Now this is what I call a dessert." He smirked.

Cassandra could feel the heat from her pussy reacting with the cream. It had started to melt and she could feel it dripping everywhere. "You better eat it before it melts." She told him an arched her hips.

_"What?" _Elena asked.

"Uh, nothing." Cassandra was losing her cover quickly and that only made Damon smirk even more. Damon ran a finger up her lips, collecting the canned whipped cream and her own cream. He brought it to his mouth and he suckled it, cleaning off everything. His mouth now hovered over her pussy and his tongue worked to clean her soaking lips. The taste of her juices and the whipped cream was a delicious combination.

_"That's okay. I thought I heard something. So, anyways..."_ Cassandra had tuned out Elena's mindless chatter as soon as Damon's tongue danced over her core. Little whimpers passed her lips but she wasn't even sure that Elena picked up on them. Damon, on the other hand, couldn't really care if Elena heard or not. To him, it was her fault that she had called to bother them in the first place. Purposely, he slurped and made loud noises against her pussy just so Elena would hear it and get the drift that they were busy. Her warm juices mixed lovely with the cold thick cream and the taste was to die for. It was the perfect blend of salty and sweet. He even gobbled up the cherry and discarded of the stem. He took another cherry from the jar and gently placed it in pussy. Her walls clenched around it, keeping it there and Damon admired the red skin of the cherry peaking out from behind her lips. He watched it bob between her lips slightly before curving his tongue and stealing it back from her. Damon licked her up from top to bottom, making sure to clean her anal opening as well since some whipped cream had dripped down and Cassandra moaned heatedly.

"Elena...I, uhm..." She didn't even get to finish her thought as hardened his tongue and speared her puckered open and she shivered above him.

"Get. Off. The. Phone. Now." He growled against her pussy.

"Oh God..." She whimpered, a plea for him to do it again.

_"Cassandra?"_

"I...I have to go, Elena." Cassandra then tossed the phone aside and didn't even bother to check if she had ended the call.

"I thought she'd never shut up." Damon grumbled and flicked her hole with his tongue. "Who knew that you'd like anal play so much?" He inquired and danced a finger around the dark hole.

"Ever since the night of the Mikaelson ball." Cassandra panted. "It made me so hot."

Damon smirked and kissed her tight hole. "I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. That gives me an idea." He rose from the bed and pulled rifled through her suitcase for a moment or before finding what he was looking for. Cassandra smirked widely as Damon settled himself back on the bed.

"Looks like you found my little toy." She giggled and watched him generously lube up her favorite pink vibrator. It was long and thick, not quite measuring up to Damon's girth, but it got the job done.

"And now, I want to toy with you." Damon wiggled his eyebrows handed her the slick vibrator. "Touch yourself." He ordered and leaned back on the bed, a perfect position to watch her.

Cassandra shivered at his request and flicked the toy onto the lowest setting. It hummed to life but was still quiet enough for Damon to hear her moans that would pass her lips. The tip brushed against her clit and Cassandra let her head fall over her shoulders, finally thankful to get some kind of relief. She made slow, sloppy circles over her button before dipping down to her soaking entrance. The entire time, Damon's crystal blue eyes were locked on the pink toy and his hand curled around his throbbing cock. "Mmm Damon..." She moaned as she stuck the vibrator inside her. Her body tensed for a second and her walls fluttered. A sigh passed her lips as she begun to pump the toy in and out of her. Damon's hand moved along his cock at the same pace she fucked herself and he was quickly losing himself. He wanted to yank that damn toy out of her and replace it with his cock. Her moans escalated with each thrust and her hips gyrated wildly in hopes of accomplishing a mind blowing orgasm. Having enough fun with her pussy, Cassandra removed the vibrator and trailed it down to her other hole when Damon's gruff voice halted her.

"Stop." He growled and she glared back at him. She clicked the button off, slightly perturbed that she couldn't continue. "Turn over." Damon instructed and she did so. She was on her stomach now and Damon propped a pillow under her hips. He took the toy back from her and sucked it into his mouth, groaning at the taste of her. With large hands, he spread her ass and took a teasing lick at her hole, making her jump slightly. Damon then took the vibrator and soaked it in lube once more before guiding it into her. He was careful and gentle with her since he felt her pushing back against him. He cooed to her and soon enough, she relaxed and the vibrator was completely nestled inside her. "How does that feel?"

Cassandra whimpered into the mattress and wiggled her hips. "So tight...please, Damon, I need to come."

"I know, baby." He kissed her right cheek. "I'll take care of you."

"I...I need..." Her pleas were suddenly turned into screams as Damon flicked the button on the vibrator. It shook inside her and Cassandra thought she'd come right in the spot, however one of her holes was filled to the brim and the other was achingly empty.

Damon just watched her wiggle around and chuckled amusedly. She needed to come bad and he figured that he'd denied her orgasm one too many times. Crouching behind her, he flicked the vibrations up until it was on the highest setting and Cassandra's entire body was trembling with need. "Are you ready for me?" He asked her as he gripped his rigid length and pressed just the head inside her.

"God, Damon! Fuck me, lick me! Do something! Anything! Please, just make me come!" She begged and Damon's smirk grew wider as he fully pushed himself into her pussy. Her hands tightened around the blankets and her head thrashed from side to side as Damon's cock fucked her roughly. The vibrating toy inside her ass only added to the pleasure that was steadily climbing again.

"Such a naughty girl you are." Damon purred and gripped her hips, allowing himself to drive into her and control the pace. "Do you like it when both of your holes are filled? Do you feel so full you'll explode? Do you imagine me taking you like this when you fuck yourself with that little toy?"

"Yes! Yes to it all!" She screamed and bit her pillow. "Whenever I play with myself, I wish it was you filling up my other hole." She told him.

"God, you're so fucking sexy when you talk dirty." Damon groaned and spanked her. The sensation bounced the toy around and brought Cassandra even closer to the edge. "Talk dirty to me, baby. I want to hear that filthy mouth of yours."

Cassandra wasn't sure if she could even form coherent sentences in her head and say them, but she'd make it work for her husband. "Damon, I want you to fuck me so hard that I won't be able to walk for a week."

A hard slap to her ass and a groan from Damon made her walls clench. "After this, you won't be walking for a month. Keep going."

"You've ruined me for other men. No one can make me come as hard as you can. Your cock drives me wild. I think about it all the time and it gets me so wet." She rattled off, not even sure if what she was saying was making any sense.

"And you stick this little toy inside you, don't?" He growls and snaps his hips. "And you fuck that pink pussy of yours, right?"

"Y-yes!" Cassandra suddenly feels the tightly wound coil inside her starting to fray and she's nearly there.

"And does it make you come as hard as I can?" Damon hears her whimper but he wants to hear an answer. He halts his thrusts and holds her still, so she can feel how hard he is for her and the buzzing of the vibrator. "I didn't hear you."

"No! No, it's never enough!" She shook her head and tried to wiggle her hips but he holds her tightly.

Damon skims his hands over her back soothingly, "Good girl." He praised and started up his pace again. Cassandra's eyes screwed shut as she knows the coil is just thrusts away from snapping.

"So close...so close." She chanted and she can hear Damon groaning from above her. One, two, three thrusts and she suddenly feels like she's floating. Her mind goes blank and she can enjoy this weightless feeling for a split second before she is yanked back down into the throes of her long awaited orgasm. "I...I can't! I'm-"

"Let it go, Cass. Come for me and come hard." She can hear Damon at her ear. "I've got you. Just let go." His words give her comfort as she screams long and loud. The muscles in her body constrict and tense as her orgasm soars through her veins. Walls gripped his cock, massaging it in an iron grip and soon, Damon came inside her. His load is long and thick, filling her up and spilling down her thighs. Her ass is strangling the vibrator so hard that she fears it will snap in two and the buzzing sensation adds to her ecstasy.

Cassandra didn't realize when she stops coming, she is only brought down to earth when she felt his cock and the vibrator bring removed from her. She groaned out, missing being so full and the bed dips next to her. Damon's warm body presses into hers and his fingers making fleeting, ghosting patterns all over her sensitive skin. She slightly jumps, trying to move away from him, but he is enjoying toying with her too much. "I hope Elena hung up the phone." She mumbled against the mattress and Damon chuckles above her.

"Who cares if she did or didn't." He hugged her tightly to him and pulled the sheets over their sweaty bodies. "Now she'll never call again."

She giggled at that and nuzzled the crook of his neck. "I'm sure you're happy about that."

"Well, that's like a rule. You do not call couples on their honeymoon. Especially us." He proclaimed.

"You're horny as hell." Cassandra murmured.

"And so are you." Damon lightly kissed her lips and leaned into his pillows, getting them both comfortable.

Cassandra sighed tiredly and closed her eyes. "Another day spent in bed?"

"Such a shame." Damon pouted amusedly.

"I don't want to leave." Her little voice made him look down into her brown eyes. "I just want to stay here forever and never go back to Mystic Falls."

The vampire frowned and kissed her forehead. "I know you do. I do too, but right now, let's just enjoy the time we have here." That made her smile a little and he kissed her. "Because I don't know about you, but I'm having an amazing time." He smirked teasingly.

"Damon, all we've done is have sex!" She remarked.

"And it's a beautiful thing."

* * *

**And there you have it, almost 4,000 words of pure smut ;)**

****I am looking for a beta since HarleyQuinn88 has gone missing. I have sent out beta requests and haven't gotten any back. If anyone could recommend a beta, I would greatly appreciate it.** **

**Please review :)**


	14. After School Special

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 14: After School Special**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

"Cass!" Damon's voice cut into her dream and the brunette buried herself further underneath the covers.

"No! I'm sleeping!" She whined, screwing her eyes shut.

Damon sighed and sauntered into the bedroom they had commandeered while they were staying at the Lake House and helping Jeremy with his mark. Their honeymoon was much too short-lived and Cassandra was already wishing that she was back under the Spanish sun.

"You have to get up." He yanked the covers off of her and her body curled up into a ball.

"Damon..." She bellyached and reached for the covers again, but Damon was already two steps ahead of her. The blankets were off the bed and on the floor to prevent her from wrapping herself back up in them.*

He dropped a warm blood packet on the mattress and she eyed it hungrily. "C'mon, it's time to train baby Gilbert."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes, squinting them from the strong sun, and peered over at the digital clock on her bedside table. She shot up and grimaced at him. "It's 5 AM!"

"Bright and early, princess." Damon took a sip from his steaming mug of blood as Cassandra gripped her breakfast and ripped off the top.

"How long will we be training Jeremy?" She asked curiously before drinking down some warm blood.

Damon shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed. "Who knows. All I know is that, if we send him out to kill vampires now, he'll be toast."

"And what better people to train him then us, right?" She chirped and leaned her head against his shoulder. Damon reached a hand up to stroke her messy hair and kissed her temple. "I wish we were still in Spain," Cassandra sighed and sipped from her blood bag as if it were a juice box.

"Me too. That just means that we'll have to take a second honeymoon." He smirked and she did too.

"I'm not objecting." Cassandra wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed his lips.

The pair watched Matt and Jeremy grapple with one another out near the lake. The crisp cool air made Damon and Cassandra wish they were back in Spain again. The male vampire looked out onto the lake as Cassandra paid more attention to how Jeremy's training was going.

She playfully nudged him, "Pay attention."

"I've never been so bored in my life," Damon deadpanned.

"Come on, be fair," she told him.

"All right, go ahead. Make a move." Jeremy baited Matt.

"I drove up here to be your wingman, not kick your ass." The football player huffed before Jeremy quickly flipped him over. "Okay I get it, I get it. You're a badass."

"Very good," Cassandra praised and Jeremy puffed his chest out.

"Did you see that?" The hunter asked Damon.

"Couldn't miss it; it was in slow motion." He remarked and Jeremy's chest deflated.

"Then teach me something useful. We've been here for days, and so far, all you've done is bark orders." He grumbled.

"Okay." Damon nodded and pushed himself off the picnic table. He plucked up one of the stakes and tossed it to Jeremy. "Take a seat at the bench, quarterback. Karate Kid wants a shot at the title."

Matt moved away, panting and rubbing his shoulder. "Jeremy, you're not ready for this."

"Give him some space, Matt. The only way Jeremy will learn how to defend himself is by going up against a real vampire." Cassandra told him.

Jeremy ran towards Damon but the hunter was gripped by his arm and neck in a matter of seconds.

"Now, all I have to do is apply a little pressure under your jaw," Damon pushed slightly in demonstration and Jeremy groaned out.

"Easy, Damon. We're here to train him, not break him." The hybrid spoke as a pizza delivery truck drove up.

"Really? Again?" The raven haired vampire scoffed and unhanded Jeremy. A little blonde girl hopped out of the truck carrying a large pizza box.

"Double pepperoni three days in a row. You guys eat anything else?" She laughed and Cassandra came up behind her.

"Why? Are you offering?" Her smirk was dangerous and Damon slipped an arm around her waist.

"That's something extra to cut off the pizza pipeline for a couple a days. No matter how much they beg, don't come back." He handed the delivery girl some extra money and snatched the box from her. The girl looked between the pair before eyeing Matt and Jeremy.

"Sorry, guys," she murmured sheepishly before walking off.

"What? You're going to starve us now?" Jeremy grumbled.

"If that's what it takes to make you into a hunter. Now, run around the lake." Damon instructed him.

"Twice." Cassandra added and took the box from him. Her brown eyes then fell on Matt. "You might as well keep him company."

"I don't have to listen to you." He replied gruffly.

"You do if you want to eat." Damon smirked and Matt reluctantly took off running after Jeremy.

"I still think you're being hard on them." Cassandra noted as she opened up the box and took a whiff.

"You're being a hard-ass too." Damon stole a slice and stuffed a large bite in his mouth.

"Yeah, but I'm not starving the poor kids." She said with a mouth full of pizza.

"Take human bites, Cass." He teased.

His wife shoved his shoulder and laughed out loud. "Shut up! Look at you! You finished that slice in, like, two seconds!" She pointed at him as he grabbed another slice. "Besides, I'm not human anyways."

Damon swallowed thickly and finished his bite. "So, what do you think about this whole cure thing?" He asked her seriously and she shrugged.

"Honestly? It sounds real, but it seems like there's something behind it." She told him.

"No, I mean, would you take it?" His question made her silent for a few moments.

"I...I don't know, Damon. I had a great time being human when Klaus took away my hybrid aura, but I started thinking that you'd stay young forever and I'd get old and wrinkly." She explained and nibbled at her slice of pizza. "What about you? Would you take it?"

Damon thought it through for some moments.

"I would take it if you would." He said.

"I thought you liked being the eternal stud." Cassandra giggled.

"I do, but being human is always something I've missed," he sighed, and took up another piece of pizza.

"Me too." She agreed and went back to eating hers. "You better call that pizza girl back."

"We already agreed that we're not going to eat her." Damon spoke.

"No, because at the rate we're going, this pizza will be done by the time those boys get halfway around the lake." She chuckled.

* * *

A waiter placed a drink down at Stefan's table and the vampire eyed it curiously. The entire morning, he spent his time drinking at the bar. He even missed the memorial service they held for Carol Lockwood down at the high school.

"I, uh, I didn't order this," Stefan told the waiter.

"It's from the bombshell at the bar," the teen told him before walking off to bus his other tables. Stefan peered over at the bar to see Giuliana perched on a stool, waving at him coyly. The vampire took his drink and stalked over to her.

"What's this for?" He asked her.

"Just a little gesture to say thank you for taking care of me the night of the Winter Fundraiser." She replied with a smile. "Really though, thank you."

"You're welcome." Stefan smiled back at her and took a sip.

"So, what happens now?" She asked him. "Klaus still has the sword and the cure is still out there."

"I don't even really know anymore." He shrugged, almost like he didn't care about much of anything anymore.

"Don't pout, Stefan. You'll get the cure for Elena and the two of you can ride off into the sunset." The woman quipped.

"What do you know about the cure?" Stefan raised an eyebrow and studied her carefully.

"All I know is that this stupid tattoo leads to it. I know just as much as you do." Giuliana answered and gestured to her hunter's mark.

"Don't you ever get tired of it?" he asked.

Giuliana frowned deeply and sighed. "You don't even know. It's a constant reminder of my brother. I have to live with the fact that the man who killed him still walks among us."

* * *

Back at the Lake House, Jeremy swiftly loaded a gun with wooden bullets and cocked it, ready to fire. Cassandra tsked a little and shook her head.

"You're a little slow, Jer." She told him.

"This is harder than it looks." Jeremy shook his head.

Damon picked up the gun and opened the chamber, emptying *every single bullet back onto the table. "Now, do it like your life depends on it, which it does."

"Don't act like you care about my life." The hunter grumbled.

"This is called tough love, Jeremy. You need to know how to defend yourself against vampires because they won't go easy on you." Cassandra explained.

"Exactly. A bunch of vampires won't be asking you to roast marshmallows by the campfire." The vampire added.

"I'm sorry. Did I interrupt playtime?" Klaus snickered as he walked into the clearing where the trio were situated.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jeremy stood.

"I'm simply appreciating the sights and smells of nature. Neither of which presently include the smell of rotting vampire flesh, so I'm a bit concerned." He looked to Damon and Cassandra, who scowled back at him. "How many vampires has he killed?"

"If we throw Jeremy out in the real world right now, he's chum." Damon defended.

"Yeah, see that's not a number. Twelve! That's a number. That's how many of my hybrids I slaughtered with my sword. Three. That's how many days it took to quell the urge to kill Stefan after he knowingly watched as I walked into a death trap. One. That's the number of purposes you two serve." Klaus looked to the couple. "You both are here to grow Jeremy's mark so I'll ask again. How many vampires has he killed since he's been here?"

"Zero." Damon replied smartly.

Klaus gave Damon a wry smirk. "That's a pity. I'm going to need that cure sooner rather than later. Hybrid shortage and all. How can I help?"

"You wanna help?" Cassandra called. "Go find us some vampires."

"We already have a vampire present." Klaus gestured to Damon, who growled and picked the now-loaded gun off the table.

"You know, now that you mentioned it. Jeremy, watch and learn." The vampire pulled the trigger, firing some rounds into Klaus's chest. "That's for Carol Lockwood." The hybrid gritted his teeth, examining his bleeding wounds before stalking off into the woods.

* * *

Professor Shane pushed open the door to his apartment and ushered Bonnie inside with him. Immediately he could tell that something was different. Papers and folders were strewn around the apartment, they weren't there originally. When he left, everything was in place. Two pairs of eyes landed on a silhouette that was perched in a chair at the professor's desk.

"I've gotta say, Professor. You take very thorough notes." The woman sitting at his desk spoke as she stood and turned to face the pair. Bonnie's eyes were wide as she looked over her.

"Cassandra?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, so close," Giuliana quipped. "But no cigar, Bonnie." Professor Shane had been very quiet and the woman smirked at him. "Cat got your tongue, Professor?"

"You're Giuliana Ricci." He nodded. "You died in the eleven hundreds."

Giuliana picked up the manila folder that she was skimming through and opened it again. "Well, it seems my TOD has to be changed because I'm clearly standing right here."

"Who is she?" Bonnie murmured quietly to Shane.

"Bonnie, dear, I can hear you very well." The woman said and the witch straightened up. "Although, you're asking the right person since this guy has a folder on me containing everything about my life." Shane now gently nudged Bonnie behind him as he met Giuliana.

"How are you alive?" Shane asked her and Giuliana roughly pushed him down into one of the chairs.

"I'll be asking the questions around here, Shane." She purred and placed her hands on the arms of the chair, trapping him in. "Why do you have a folder about me?" Her green eyes pried for an answer but Shane just looked uncomfortable having her there.

"Blame my healthy curiosity." He chuckled nervously.

"Hmm, that's a good answer, but I can only give you partial credit." The woman frowned and leaned in closer. "I'll ask you again, why do you have a folder with my name on it?"

Bonnie remained still as she watched the two of them. She considered using her magic to disable Cassandra's look-a-like, but after hearing that she "died" in the eleven hundreds, she gathered that she must be some kind of supernatural entity. "Shane..." She clutched Qetsiyah's necklace in her hands; Shane had given it to her earlier and explained that the powerful witch drew on the human bone talisman for strength.

The professor cast a sideways glance to Bonnie to let her know that he was alright and peered into Giuliana's emerald eyes.

"When Connor was killed, I was unaware that Jeremy Gilbert was a potential hunter. So, I thought that you could help since..." He gestured to her tattoo which was fully exposed.

Giuliana smiled from ear to ear. "Very good, Shane." She allowed herself to stand completely now. "However my mark-"

"Is ineffective." He finished for her. "Every time you make a supernatural kill, the mark remains where it is. It doesn't grow."

"You're a lot smarter than you look." She clapped for him and leaned back to sit on the edge of his desk. "Bonnie, you can leave us now. It's time your professor and I had a little chat." The witch stood stoically and didn't move, her teeth clenched in her mouth.

"Bonnie, it's okay," Shane told her and her demeanor relaxed slightly. She took a few steps towards the door, but looked back at them.

"Run along now." Giuliana chirped and Bonnie scowled before leaving and slamming the door behind her.

Shane stood now, quite abruptly. "How are you alive?" His voice was firm.

"Ooh, very demanding." She smirked and stood as well. "For almost 900 years I was locked away in a mausoleum with my brother's sword pierced through my chest."

"Alexander was your brother." He stated with a nod.

"May he rest in peace after being torn apart by that disgusting dog." She spat.

"Speaking ill of my brother, darling?" An accented voice made the pair whip around to the door frame. "You're forgetting that I had a hand at ripping your brother to pieces." Kol smirked and ran for them. Giuliana shoved Shane out of the way and tackled the Original to the ground. They wrestled for dominance and the woman was able to pin his wrists down.

"Kol. You're just as hideous as you were in the eleven hundreds." Giuliana chuckled and the Original threw her against the wall roughly.

"And you've still got that smart mouth." Kol pinned her wrists down and got in her face. "Perhaps I should yank out your tongue just like Klaus did to Alexander." That remark kept her quiet but it didn't stop her from snapping her human teeth at him. He jumped back slightly and grinned. "You forget, darling; mine are much sharper."

* * *

_"Shane! Get out of here!" _The muffled shout made Bonnie suddenly stop short in her tracks.

"Oh my God. Kol!" She turned on her heel and ran back towards Shane's apartment. She knew that smug grin that passed her in the hallway looked familiar. As quickly as her feet would carry her, Bonnie darted back to Shane's apartment to find it in complete disarray. Objects were knocked over, some broken glass and papers littered the floor and Shane, Giuliana, and Kol were nowhere to be found.

* * *

With rough hands, Kol shoved Giuliana and Shane through the doors of the library while keeping a strong grip on the girl's upper arm.

"Kol, finally!" Rebekah huffed and walked to the two.

"Sorry, sister. One of our little hostages was giving me quite the problem." The Original grumbled and dug his fingers into Giuliana's olive skin.

"You must be Shane." Rebekah spoke to the professor before locking her eyes onto Giuliana. "Well, well, well, look who's back from the dead. No doubt you were the one giving my brother a hard time."

"I don't like being manhandled, Rebekah. I'm not like you." Giuliana growled. The blonde chuckled and took Shane by the arm, leading Kol and his prisoner to a storage closet and throwing them inside.

"Kol and Rebekah Mikaelson. Two members of the Original vampire family. This is such a trip." Shane was practically hyperventilating that he was meeting two of the oldest vampires around.

"Easy, professor. No need to start fan-girling now." Giuliana told him when Rebekah moved to compel him.

"Where's the cure?" Her baby blue eyes dilated, but Shane shook his head.

"Compulsion won't work; it's a little trick I picked up in Tibet." He said and Rebekah looked to Giuliana now.

"It doesn't work on her either, sister." Kol interjected. "Don't you think I would have compelled her to shut her mouth already?"

Rebekah pouted, "Right well, we're just going have to do this the old fashioned way." She gave a sideways glance to her brother who was grinning evilly. "Beat them until they tell you where to find it." She closed the door to the closet, leaving the two in the hands of Kol. He cracked his knuckles and his playful eyes darted between the two.

"Let's have some fun, mates."

* * *

"You honestly suck at this." The female hybrid teased.

"I do not! Look at yours!" The blue eyed vampire grumbled.

The couple bickered playfully as they sat outside in front of the campfire sharpening some of Jeremy's wooden bullets. The young hunter had a long day of training and the couple decided to let both Jeremy and Matt take off for the night since it was getting dark. Their hands wielded sharp knives to carve the ends of the wooden bullets into pointed tips, better to shoot a vampire with a stake-like bullet.

"Can we please finish this up?" Cassandra pouted. "Jeremy was good today and you promised you'd get us all ice cream."

"I said I'd get _him_ ice cream." Damon corrected her as he sharpened a bullet.

"Oh, come on! I worked just as hard as you did today!" She fought.

"Then I can just have _you_ for dessert." The vampire smirked.

"You already did that in Spain. Although, I wouldn't mind having you for dessert." Cassandra scooted closer to him and latched onto his earlobe. Her hand rested on his thigh and teasingly walked upwards.

"Planning on making me into a sundae?" Damon breathed huskily.

"Mmhmm, I'll need some ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and cherries too." She purred and pulled his earlobe through her teeth. The hybrid had forgotten all about her job of sharpening bullets and was much more concerned with making her husband into a sundae.

"That sounds delicious." He licked his lips at the thought and he hardened in his jeans as her hand squeezed him through the thick material.

"Well, pardon me for interrupting." Cassandra growled low in her throat as Klaus joined them by the campfire. She then moved herself off Damon and retracted her teeth and hand.

"What do you say we try out those whittled bullets?" She deadpanned and begun her work again.

"If you're here for pay back, go for it. Then you would be stuck babysitting the little hunter that could." Damon told the Original hybrid.

"You know, if you adjust your angle a little bit, you'll find a shaper edge." Klaus explained, gesturing to Damon's knife.

"I told him that already. He doesn't like to listen." Cassandra muttered.

"Yes, dear." Damon droned and winked at her. "I know how to whittle. Thanks. Now, I know why those hybrids hated you. You are annoying."

Klaus snickered to himself. "Actually, I'm just perplexed as to why Jeremy hasn't killed any vampires."

"Darwinism, Klaus. He needs to know how to protect himself before we hunt down his first vampire nest." Damon replied.

"And here was I thinking you were the fun brother!" Klaus nudged the elder Salvatore brother. "Let's play a little game, shall we? Jeremy needs more victims and there's a whole town just down the road with people waiting to be turned into vampires for the slaughter."

"You don't think that occurred to us, Klaus?" Cassandra looked to him.

"Tragedy is, sweetheart, it did occur to you. You just choose to ignore it. My guess it you did it to be the good friend and walk Jeremy down the moral high road." He told her and she scowled at him. "That's why I already made the necessary corrections."

Damon nearly dropped the knife and bullets, peering at Klaus. "What did you do?"

* * *

Another gut wrenching scream ripped itself from Giuliana's throat as Kol yanked her ring finger back on her right hand. The bone cracked, the sickening sound echoing off the walls of the storage closet.

"Oh, little Giuliana," Kol tutted. "You are quite the screamer." With that he moved to her pinky which was still intact. As his own personal form of torture, Kol took great pleasure in breaking each one of Giuliana's fingers on her left hand.

"Go to hell!" She hissed through her tears.

"Come on, darling, all you have to tell me is what you know about that bloody cure." He cooed to her and gripped her pinky roughly.

"Please, don't hurt her anymore." Shane pleaded from the corner and all Kol did was growl at him.

"You're next, professor. So, shut it!" The Original then turned back to Giuliana who didn't answer, instead, she screwed her eyes shut and waited for the excruciating pain of the bone breaking in her finger. "One," Kol counted and slightly bent it back. "Two," He pulled it back further this time and Giuliana let out a squeak. "Thr-" Kol suddenly stopped his torture when he noticed something on Giuliana's other hand. He let go of her broken hand and examined the hunter's mark which rested on the top of her right hand. "What's this then?" He asked her and quickly yanked off her sleeve to see the mark lacing up her arm.

* * *

Jeremy grabbed a stake from his belt and staked the pizza girl through the heart. The grey veins decorated her face as she lay limp on the floor. Damon and Cassandra had managed to catch the end of the fight and they watched Jeremy's mark grow a little longer.

* * *

Giuliana groaned as the mark on her arm burned ferociously. The black lines now appeared darker than they've ever been and the tips of where the tattoo remained dormant for so many years actually started to grow. Her body still fought the growth, hence the burning and now her skin had begun to bleed as it seemed that the tattoo was ripping her skin, eager to grow.

"What the hell?" Shane hushed and Kol was just as in shock.

Rebekah happened to stalk in and took in the scene before her. "What the hell is going on here? Why are you stalling?"

"It seems that Giuliana's mark now grows." Kol replied.

"Well, now we have another map." The blonde grabbed Giuliana and hauled her up, looking between the blood to see where the mark had grown, but as quickly as they appeared, they receded beneath the split skin. Rebekah tossed her back to Kol who caught her. "Now it's disappearing! Kill her now or keep her as a toy, brother. I don't care what you do with her, just find the cure!"

Kol threw the girl to the ground and she slipped around on her own blood as he took Professor Shane by the collar. "Your turn." He dragged him over to a bin filled with water and threw open the top. "Where is the cure?"

Shane didn't answer, so Kol retaliated by dunking his head in the tank. Kol continued this torture until he held Shane down for a while. Giuliana jumped up and tackled the Original, but he held her throat tightly while still managing to keep the professor down.

Rebekah had come back and grumbled that Shane was being so defiant. When Kol brought him back up she asked him, "Why do you want it anyway? You're human?"

Shane spluttered and coughed, "That's the beauty of it. You can have it. I just want Silas."

Kol froze and passed Giuliana to Rebekah so he could completely focus his time on Shane. "No. What do you know about Silas?"

"He's the world's first immortal being who just happens to be imprisoned with the cure. I want to free him." Shane explained and Kol went nuclear, drowning Shane again.

"No!" He kept Shane underwater for a long time, long enough to kill him, but Rebekah quickly stopped that.

"Enough!" She ordered and he stopped his torture on the professor. "He's of no use dead!"

"Did you not just hear what he said? Silas will kill us all, sister." Kol explained.

"Silas does not exist. He is a fairytale made up to scare children into eating their vegetables." The blonde grumbled.

Shane nodded and shook some water off him. "Silas is very real. And I know where he's buried, and soon I will have the spell that wakes him."

Kol's dark eyes glinted. "What a second, you're lying. You can't get to him."

"Without his tombstone? A dozen to die in a blood sacrifice? Believe me, I know. I've done it. Those massacres. Pay attention here."

"You're the one who got the council blown up." Rebekah stated and the professor nodded.

"It was a noble sacrifice. Temporarily. Because once I wake Silas, Silas will raise the dead. He will bring back every last soul who died on his behalf." He explained and Giuliana held her breath. There could be a way that she could bring back her brother if Silas was awakened.

The Original vampire picked up a mop, aiming the end of it at Shane and impaling the professor with it. "No!"

Rebekah was ready to scold Kol for ruining her chances for the cure when she heard Tyler growling down the hall and around the corner."Ever played hide and seek with a werewolf before?" Rebekah giggled and took a knife, slicing the skin on Giuliana's torso. "He'll smell your blood and come running after you." She opened up the closet door and pushed her outside. "Have at her, Tyler!" The blonde called to the werewolf and locked Giuliana outside, leaving her to wander the hallways with blood leaking from her.

On her hands and knees, Giuliana crawled down the hall, trying to get away from Tyler who was quickly approaching. Gasping and groaning, she unfortunately came to a dead end and her stomach dropped. She climbed to her feet and banged on classroom doors, but each of them were locked. Big wolf paws stomped to the woman, licking up the trail of blood along the way before licking his lips. He pounced on Giuliana, his sharp teeth biting into her skin but he suddenly jumped back, shaking his head around and grunting. The beast almost gagged on her blood and he whimpered, trotting away and Giuliana limped to an emergency exit. She already saw that her blood was having an adverse effect on Tyler. Her blood was special.

* * *

Once Tyler had fully transformed back into his human form, he found himself in the gym, naked and alone. Giuliana's blood burned on his tongue and he could feel it starting to numb him. It wasn't wolfsbane or vervain that he was tasting, it was something else. His body shook in little tremors; her blood was doing this to him.

* * *

Damon dug his shovel into the ground again and Cassandra helped him to shift the dirt over the grave for the young vampire that Jeremy had killed in the Lake House.

"Well, today was a bust." Cassandra sighed and turned her shovel over to pat the dirt down.

"Tell me about it. Jeremy only made one kill." Damon tossed his own shovel aside, done with the job.

"Oh well, Klaus will have to deal with it. That big baby has to wait for his precious cure." She spoke and leaned back against a tree.

"He just wants it for Elena and so does Stefan." He nodded and stood across from her.

"You know what this will turn into right?" She asked him aloud and he nodded for her to continue. "It will turn into a race for the cure."

"Wonderful." Damon deadpanned. "Told you that we should have stayed in Spain."

"Next time, I won't argue." She chuckled. "But it looks like we'll be a team together for the cure. And I wouldn't want to be on anyone's team but yours."

Damon smiled at that, looking up at the night sky and the twinkling stars that spread across the entire expanse of it. "So, listen...can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, anything." Cassandra pushed herself off the tree and walked to meet him.

"After we get this cure," He started and locked his eyes with hers. "I was thinking..."

"Damon, spit it out." She said firmly and the vampire took her hands in his.

"Okay," he squeezed her hands tightly before taking a deep breath. "I'm going to get this cure for you. For us. And when we are human, I want something a little more..."

The vampire trailed off and let go of one of her hands. It gently brushed over her stomach and his fingertips lightly tickled her. Their eyes met once more, Cassandra's were dewy and almost dreamlike. "I know we just got married and it's a lot to think about but-"

Cassandra then cupped his cheeks and pressed her lips against his, successfully cutting him off. Damon didn't need to explain himself, his words had said enough and she was so overjoyed that he was eager to start a family. Her tears of joy streaked his cheeks and hers and his arms encircled her waist, pulling her to him tightly. His wife threaded her fingers through his soft hair and she lightly nibbled his lower lip before pulling back slightly. "Like you had to ask." She whispered and stroked his cheeks. "Of course! Oh, Damon, I love you so much!" Cassandra nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you too." He stroked her hair softly and rested his chin on top of her head. His blue eyes looked up towards the sky again, his vision partly being blurred by his own tears of joy. Damon kissed Cassandra's hair and could only wish that his best buddy Alaric was here to hear this news, but Damon knew that Alaric was always watching over them.

* * *

"Damn, this place is a dump." Cassandra wrinkled her nose as she walked into a bar just off the property of the Lake House with Damon, Jeremy, and Matt. They all looked around when the smell of blood entered Cassandra's and Damon's nostrils. Bodies were scattered all over the bar, on the floor, on pool tables, hanging over the bar. They were everywhere.

"I was beginning to worry you lot wouldn't find the place." Klaus murmured from his spot at the bar.

"The hell?" Jeremy growled.

"Did you kill all these people?" Matt was in shock.

Klaus rose from his seat, taking his scotch with him. "Not exactly. They're in transition and killing them is your job." He pointed to Jeremy.

The young hunter clenched his fists, gnashing his teeth at the newlyweds. "You said you were going to convince Klaus to do this another way!"

"Well..." Cassandra started.

"We thought about it, and then we realized his idea was better." Damon explained and Klaus smirked from ear to ear as one of the transitioning vampires on the bar started to wake up.

* * *

**So, what's up with Giuliana's blood? Damon wants little babies running around!**

**Please review :)**


	15. Catch Me If You Can

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 15: Catch Me If You Can**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.  
**

****If you reviewed the previous chapter - take a look at the bottom! I've replied to them :)****

* * *

Matt Donavan ran like hell through the dark forest, not even looking over his shoulder to see if he was being pursued. He knew he was. He heard them closing in on him; he was a goner for sure. He cursed himself for not going to every single football practice because his stamina was wearing thin. Just as he thought he was fine, a rogue vampire leapt on him, tackling him to the ground and biting him. Jeremy appeared from the trees and quickly shot the vampire with an arrow in his back.

* * *

"No way. I'm not doing this!" Jeremy growled to Klaus.

"What makes you think you have a choice?" The hybrid scowled.

"You have to kill vampires to complete the hunter's mark. Mark equals cure. You're in a bar full of almost vampires, so get your hunt on," Damon smirked.

"Screw you!" The hunter grumbled. "You said I wouldn't have to kill any innocent people."

"Jeremy, they're not people," Cassandra spoke up. "They're newly turned vampires."

"Enough!" Klaus threatened. "Have at it, or else."

"I don't take orders from you, dick!" Jeremy tossed his stake to the ground. "Hunters can't be compelled."

Klaus chuckled and sauntered up to Jeremy, sizing him up.

"You're right. I can't compel you. But if your conscience is getting in the way, then allow me to make this easy for you. Because, I _can_ compel _them_." Each of them exchanged worried glances with each other as some human barkeeps were feeding the awakening vampires. "I'm gonna give you a two-minute head start. Then I'm gonna send every vampire in here after you. You kill them, or they kill your friend Matt."

"Wait a second!" The quarterback stepped up, but Cassandra eased him back.

"No! That's not the deal, Klaus!" She hissed. "You turn them and he kills them."

Klaus looked back to her. "I'm taking artistic license."

"You know he can't take them all on at the same time." Damon growled.

"With you two as his coaches he'll be fine. It's Matt I'm worried about." The hybrid snickered.

Damon grumbled to himself before nodding to Matt and Jeremy. "Go get the weapons out of the car. We'll be right behind you." The both of them darted out of the bar, dodging the awakening vampires.

"If I hear an engine start, I'll kill Matt myself!" Klaus called after them.

* * *

Jeremy was holding a piece of fabric to Matt's bite wound when a sound behind him caught his attention. He immediately whirled around and released the trigger on the bow.

Damon deflected the arrow in one swift movement. "Don't hesitate! You're lucky it was me. Otherwise you two would be dead."

"You set us up!" Jeremy shouted at him.

"I was trying to get this thing over with. You're the one that pissed off Klaus. Now you have to fight your way out of it," the vampire said.

Matt struggled to get back on his feet. "Alright. Where are the other vampires?"

Cassandra rushed into the clearing and stood beside Damon. "They're a couple miles off from here and they're closing in quickly. They're newbies, so they're still trying to figure out how to track. You two have to fight against them."

"The lake house is this way. If we can get there, they won't be able to get inside." Jeremy told Matt and Damon and Cassandra exchanged a look.

"Wait, you want to run?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"They're going to kill Matt," the hunter defended.

The couple was going to argue when a creaking branch resounded in Cassandra's ears. "Here they come," she growled and crouched below the brush.

"Jeremy, take Matt and get to the lake house. We'll hold them off." Damon instructed and the two ran off.

"Ready for this blood bath?" Cassandra smirked up at him and he nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

"Bet I can kill more than you," Damon whistled coyly as the vampires drew closer.

Cassandra let out a scowl. "Eat my dust, Salvatore."

"Make a deal on it? Unless you're scared you'll lose." He challenged.

The snarls and growls of hungry vampires could be heard; they weren't far off now. "What are the grounds?"

"If I win, you cook me dinner." He told her.

"Ha! That's it?" She chuckled.

"Naked." He purred and Cassandra looked back at him.

"Fine. And if I win-" The female hybrid was cut off as a vampire attacked her, however she was quick to dispose of him with a quick flick of her wrist. She withdrew her hand from the vampire's chest and licked the blood off her fingers seductively. "How about I decide what my winnings are after I school you on killing vampires?"

Damon's lips twisted into a smirk. "Done." Vampires attacked them left and right but Damon and Cassandra were ready for them. They took on two, three vampires at a time but didn't even get to finish killing the entire group since they scampered into the woods. Blood covered them from their heads to their toes, in their hair, and on their clothes. Cassandra even turned into a werewolf to take care of some of the vampires. She turned back to her human self and reveled in the feeling of warm blood caressing her naked body.

"How many, Mr. Salvatore?" She purred.

"Ladies first, Mrs. Salvatore." Damon sauntered to her, his blue eyes practically licking up the blood off her skin. She didn't answer, but she just smirked coyly, waiting to hear his number. "Ten."

"Hmm, very impressive." Cassandra suckled her bloody fingers, her tongue swirling to clean off every bit. She removed her finger from her mouth with a delicious _pop_ and bit her bottom lip. "Thirteen. I beat you."

"Yes you have." He smirked and snaked an arm around her waist, pressing her naked body against his clothed one. "And have you decided what your winnings will be?"

The hybrid walked her fingers over Damon's chest, teasingly traveling over his shoulder. "You. Right here, right now." She shoved him roughly against the trunk of a tree, and rubbing up against him like an animal in heat. "Any objections?"

"None." Damon crushed his lips to hers and Cassandra quickly divested him of his clothes. Bloody tongues and limbs mingled with one another, the crimson liquid stained their skin beautifully. He switched their position so she was against the tree and kissed down her body, licking blood up along the way. He reached her soaking desire and propped one leg over his shoulder. The vampire took some teasing licks, his tongue darting between her dripping folds before gripping the leg that was still standing on the ground. Cassandra wobbled and reached behind her to grip the trunk of the tree to steady herself. She balanced herself on Damon's shoulders and he looped his arms around to hold her ass in his large hands.

"Don't you dare drop me." She threatened. Damon smirked up at her from between her legs before moving her around just slightly. She let out a squeal and wrapped her arms around his head, her fingers threading through his hair and using it as an anchor. "Damon!"

"Sorry. Had to do it." The vampire chuckled and dove his face where she ached for him the most. His lips molded to hers, suckling and kissing them with absolute care and tenderness. Cassandra leaned her head against the tree, thrashing it back and forth as her husband pleasured her, bringing her to unimaginable heights. One of his hands gently ghosted over her belly, reminding her that all of this drama they were going through was for something amazing and Cassandra took his hand, lacing their fingers together. It was a sweet moment their shared and Damon peered up at her before placing her down on her feet. Brown and blue eyes stared into one another beneath the full moon and twinkling stars. Lips met in a passionate kiss and arms encircled bodies in an effort to bring themselves closer together.

"Please, Damon. I need you." Cassandra whispered and pressed her body against his. Within moments, he was sheathed inside her and she dug her teeth into his shoulder. The pace was absolutely perfect as sighs and grunts left their lips. They made passionate love against the trees and on the forest floor as they clung to each other in an effort to meet their completion.

They took their time, enjoying the soft touches and gentle kisses. Their bodies melted into one another's as they became one being under the midnight sky. Cassandra rushed to touch every part of him, her hands running over every inch of skin she could reach while Damon held her close and murmured loving words into her ear. Even after they had finished, they remained tangled in a heap on the forest floor, taking in the silence mixed with the occasional sounds of night. Husband and wife lay curled up, humming and purring at the feeling of just being close.

* * *

Do you really think they went back to the bar?" Jeremy asked the vampires as they unloaded an assortment of weapons from the truck.

"Where else are they gonna go? It's all cabins and vacation homes; they can't get in anywhere." Damon explained.

"And it's broad daylight." Cassandra added and cocked a gun before handing it to Jeremy.

Damon grabbed a crossbow from the trunk and tossed it to the hunter. "Alright. There you go."

"Fine." He nodded. "Let's get this over with."

"Listen, just go one at a time," Damon coached.

"Only shoot for the heart." Cassandra added.

"Don't hesitate," the vampire pulled a bunch of arrows from the car.

"And, the most important rule of all: don't miss." She finished and handed Jeremy an arrow.

Jeremy took it and loaded it onto the bow, pulling it back and locking it into place. "Save the teaching moment. You don't have to pretend like you give a damn about me." He growled.

Damon slammed the trunk closed roughly. "We're trying to keep you alive, dumbass. Come on."

The trio headed into the bar and it was strangely desolate. Music was still playing but no patrons could be seen. Each of their heads were on swivels, cautiously looking around for any signs of danger, however, a giant smear of blood on the floor alerted them greatly. Jeremy clutched the crossbow, his knuckles turning white as their eyes followed the smear.

"Something's not right." Damon muttered. They followed the trail and Cassandra stepped around the deep red pool.

"It's quiet. Too quiet." She whispered as they were lead to storage room in the back of the bar. The temperature in the room was immediately colder, all of them could feel it, but it didn't affect Damon and Cassandra too much. The smell of rotting flesh made them all cover their noses as they found the cause of it. The remaining vampires that they didn't fend off in the woods were dead. Each rotting corpse was piled on top of another; the stench was horrid.

"Looks like we're gonna have to find some new vampires. What a waste." Damon growled.

Jeremy lowered his bow slightly. "What the hell happened?"

"I confess." Kol's teasing voice made the trio whip around and Jeremy aimed the bow at the smug vampire. "I did it."

The hunter raised a brow. "Kol?"

"Jeremy, good to see you, mate. Sorry about the mess. Ugh, it was a little crowded when I arrived and I prefer more intimate gatherings. The four of us need to have a little chat." He explained and took a long swig of what looked like scotch, straight from the bottle. The hands that clutched the glass were covered with blood, it seemed that Kol liked to work with his hands.

"You and your sister, Rebekah, love to ruin plans, don't you?" Cassandra frowned.

"Care for a drink, darling? Jeremy?" Kol offered the bottle to them smugly. "Damon?"

"She's my wife, he's underage, and I don't like you, so let's just cut to it." Damon interjected, keeping the hunter behind him.

Kol sauntered forward, a grin still painting his lips."And I wasn't invited? I'm hurt." He pouted sarcastically. "You know, my brother bragged about his plan to complete Jeremy's hunter's mark. It was easy enough to track this lot down. They were all hiding in the shadows. Now, killing young vampires is easy." His dark eyes flicked between Damon and Cassandra. "Or old ones, for that matter."

"Why? What's it to you either way?" Damon asked him.

"Because, you fools, in your zeal to find the cure, you risk waking someone very dangerous." Kol warned.

"Oh...you must be talking about Silas." The vampire stated.

"What do you know of him?" Kol wondered.

"Nothing. Don't want to. Not our problem." Cassandra hissed.

"Isn't it?" Kol raised an eyebrow. "A few hundred years back, I came across a group that worshiped Silas. His followers told me that he would rise again and when he did, he would trigger the end of all time. You know, being an immortal, you can see why I'm opposed to time's ending. So, I murdered all of them. And now, here you are, willing to risk raising him in your search for the cure. I can't exactly sit back and let that happen, can I?"

Damon snickered a little. "We're not going to back off the cure 'cause you were told one too many scary bedtime stories, you idiot."

Kol suddenly shoved Damon aside. "Jeremy, we were mates in Colorado. You're a smart lad. Why don't you call off this imbecilic treasure hunt?"

Jeremy growled and aimed the crossbow at the Original. "I'm not calling anything off, mate."

"Well I could kill you. But then, I'd have to deal with the hunter's curse. And I don't particularly feel like being haunted for the next century." Kol pouted.

"Come on, Kol. What's a century in solitary confinement?" Cassandra leered.

The Original let out a little chuckle, eyeing the female hybrid up and down before looking to Jeremy. "Better idea. I'll just rip off your arms." He rushed at Jeremy, but Cassandra pulled a gun from her hip. She pulled the trigger and a bullet entered Kol's skull. He crumpled to the ground in a heap beside the pile of vampires.

"That'll keep him down for a little." She said and just as she turned on her heel, Kol was right there.

"But not long enough." He smirked as blood dribbled down his face. The Original shoved her to the wall, but Damon quickly tackled him. The two wrestled as both Cassandra and Jeremy held their weapons at the ready.

"Jeremy, Cassandra, run!" Damon gasped and the hunter scampered away, but the later aimed her gun at Kol's back.

"I'll shoot!" She threatened and Kol caught Damon's arm. He flipped them around so Damon was facing her and Kol was holding him in a vice grip. One arm was wrapped around Damon's neck while the other twisted his arm behind his body.

"Go ahead, darling. Take your best shot." Kol taunted and Cassandra's finger on the trigger froze up. "I can imagine that you're a sharp shooter, but he'll be dead by the time the bullet leaves the chamber."

Damon struggled in Kol's strong grip, panting and gasping for some air. "Cass, go. Get out of here!"

Her brown eyes hardened and her grip on the gun somewhat loosened. "Damon..."

"I'll be fine," the vampire told her, however she wasn't convinced.

"Don't worry, Cassandra. I'll take good care of him." Kol smirked widely and twisted Damon's arm a little, making him groan out. She tensed up again, gritting her fangs at the Original.

"Run, Cassandra," Damon grunted gruffly and she took careful steps back while still aiming at Kol. With one last look to Damon, she rushed from the bar.

* * *

"A bit ironic, you coming to me for help. Weren't your friends just trying to bury me in a cement tomb?" Klaus grumbled and Cassandra shifted in her seat uncomfortably;damn her crazy ideas to hell.

"This is your fault. You started this when you forced Jeremy to kill those vampires."

"As I recall, you and Damon were on board with my idea." He tutted and stood to pour himself a drink. "But now my little brat of a brother has gone and made things worse. Well, he never did like Damon. I suppose I should do something, shouldn't I?"

Cassandra's firm eyes snapped up to meet his. "Call him off, Klaus." She ordered and the hybrid rushed at her, placing his hands on the arms of her chair. He peered down at her and growled dangerously.

"You are in no position to make demands, love. Whilst I'd like to cure Elena to make more hybrids, I do have other reasons for finding the cure, not the least of which is destroying it so you lot can't use it against me," he told her darkly. "And the rumor is that you and Damon fancy the chance of being human as well."

"Whatever our differences, we want the cure," Cassandra spoke. "I know you hate Damon, but I also know something that you hate more than him is seeing me unhappy." Klaus rolled his eyes but her words pierced his cold heart. She was right. "Please. Klaus, I'm begging you." Cassandra clenched her fists at that; she hated begging and swore that she would never amount to begging for anyone, but Damon's life was in danger.

Klaus pushed himself off her chair, freeing her from her cage and plopped down in his own chair. "You know how much I love it when you beg." He smirked to her and took out his phone, dialing Kol. "Little brother. Just two days home, and I'm told you've already gone and made a mess."

Kol's voice could be heard trough the receiver. _"Come on, Nik. I was only having some fun."_

"Those vampires were for my hunter." Klaus told him.

_"I'll make some more. There's no shortage of people."_ Kol replied.

"Where's Damon Salvatore?" Klaus asked. "I have his lovely wife here begging me for you to release him."

Kol gave a little chortle. _"She could have always joined in on the fun as long as I was the one on top."_ His lewd remark made Cassandra want to either vomit or reach through the phone and strangle him. _"Tell her that I gave him a good and proper beating just for old time's sake."_

Klaus snickered too. "Yes. Well, you've had your fun. Now let him go and come home. Avoid any more trouble, or you'll find yourself back in a box."

_"Hey. No need to be nasty about it."_ Kol replied hastily.

Klaus sighed and rolled his eyes. "On the contrary, I find nastiness to be essential whenever my siblings try to sabotage me. Listen closely, Kol. Stay away from the Gilbert boy. You understand?"

A few beats of silence were heard from Kol's end before he answered to his brother's demand. _"Fine. I won't touch him. You have my word."_

* * *

Kol clicked his phone off and tucked it safely in his pocket. "That was just too easy." He said it more to himself than anything. Kol then directed his attention to a groaning Damon, he was holding a stake that was lodged in his chest. "Very good, darling. Now stab yourself a little bit further." He compelled.

The compulsion took hold and Damon had to obey. He pushed the stake further into himself and a string of groans accompanied it. "If you're gonna kill me, do it like a man."

"I don't want to kill you. I just wanted to make sure you could be compelled." Kol told him and flicked the bullet that Cassandra had shot him with to the floor. "Your little wife is quite the treat. I bet Niklaus is enjoying having her groveling at his feet."

"I'm gonna rip out your spleen." Damon growled menacingly.

"You ought to be thanking me for not ripping her heart out when I had the chance. And that hunter, Jeremy, he's just trouble waiting to be stirred. I bet you want him dead, don't you?" Kol teased.

"Nope." He shook his head.

Kol laughed heartily. "You're lying. I bet you'd love to rip his head right off and I'm gonna give you your wish." The vampire crouched before Damon, looking him straight in the eyes. "You're not gonna remember what I say, but you're going to find Jeremy Gilbert, and when you do, you're going to kill him and if anyone..._anyone_ stands in your way. Kill them."

* * *

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Cassandra chewed her nails as she paced in the Gilbert kitchen waiting to hear from Damon. It had been a while since she left the Mikaelson mansion and she was growing more and more anxious as the time passed. Her heels clicked against the tile floor and her teeth chomped her nicely manicured nails down to practically nothing.

"I don't know if I could keep waiting like this," she said.

"Me neither. You're gonna pace a hole in the floor." Elena spoke.

"If Jeremy was with Kol you'd be doing the same thing." Cassandra told her as she continued to pace.

"He'll be fine, Cassandra. But if you didn't have all of those vampires turned, none of us would be in this situation."

The hybrid turned over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at the young vampire. "Don't start with me, Elena." The doorbell ringing stopped their bickering and Cassandra bolted for the front door. She nearly tore the door off the hinges but let out a sigh seeing Damon standing on the porch. "Oh my god!" Cassandra immediately jumped at Damon, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly. She suddenly pulled back at the feel of warm blood soaking her shirt and gaped at him.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Damon groaned. "Kol happened."

"Thank god you're alright." She hugged him again.

I'm alright, Cass. Hey, listen, have you seen Jeremy? I want to apologize for what happened." He told her.

"He's at the Grill. He wanted to check on Matt," Cassandra told him. "What's got you in an apologetic mood?"

"I was pretty tough on him today." Damon replied simply.

* * *

The Grill was busy, as usual, and was nearly at full capacity. Teens played at the pool tables while the older crowd swarmed around the bar. Damon had managed to separate himself from Cassandra for a few moments when she stopped to ask him about his neck. The vampire ignored their chatter once his crystal blue eyes caught sight of Jeremy. The both of them froze, eyes locked on one another and Damon's eyes had started to turn red. Purple veins speckled underneath his now crimson pools as his compulsion was forcing him to flash across the Grill and rip off the hunter's head.

"Damon!" Cassandra called from behind him and he immediately stopped. The vampire's face turned back to normal before looking back at his wife. "What's up with you? Are you alright?"

"I..." He began to speak when suddenly the sound of the back door slamming shut seemed more important at the moment. Using his vampire speed, he followed the noise and pushed the storage room door open to find that his target was gone.

Cassandra was quick to follow using her human speed, she deemed that more appropriate rather than the stunt Damon just pulled. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She scolded him.

"It was Kol. He must have compelled me." He explained as he paced in the back room. "If I find Jeremy...I'm gonna kill him." In seconds, he rushed through the open hole that led to the tunnels underneath the Grill. Jeremy must have removed the grating and escaped through there but there was no way he could outrun a vampire. Cassandra crouched down beside the hole, sighing and hanging her head, this was problematic.

Elena joined her, her worried eyes looking for Jeremy. "What happened?"

"We've got a problem," Cassandra told her gravely.

* * *

The tunnels were dark and damp and Elena and Cassandra tried their best to track their loved ones. Their flashlights bounced off the cavern walls but did very little to help them. Their nerves were high strung to say the least.

"This is a disaster!" Cassandra huffed as she turned down a passageway.

"Let's just keep looking," Elena told her.

"This is all my fault. I shouldn't have left when Kol came." She shook her head.

"Don't blame yourself for this. All we can do is find them and stop this before it gets bad." The baby vampire skidded to a stop once her flashlight shined on a dead end.

"Lovely." Cassandra groaned. "I think this is the fourth time we've hit this wall."

"Jeremy, are you listening to me?" Damon's voice echoed in the tunnels and Elena and Cassandra turned on their heels. They were quickly running out of time. "You better run! I am coming to kill you! You need to go now!"

"That's the compulsion talking." Cassandra told herself as she picked up speed.

"Jeremy, run!" Elena yelled down the passage.

"Did you miss the part where I said I'm compelled? Don't stop!" Damon growled.

"God dammit, Damon! Stop!" Cassandra begged and pushed herself to run faster. The girls twisted and turned around each corner, slowly drawing closer but Damon was too far ahead of them. The smell of blood hit them like a wave and Elena's breath caught in her throat.

"Jeremy..." She whimpered.

"Seriously? You're being hunted by a vampire, and now you're bleeding?" The vampire scowled. The girls picked up their pace, scrambling through the winding hallways but all they could hear were Damon's shouts and the sound of a gunshot going off.

* * *

"Ow. Ugh." Damon groaned as he slowly sat up. With careful hands, he curled his finger inside the wound on his forehead and jimmied out one of Jeremy's wooden bullets. He examined it, rolling it between his bloody fingers. "He shot me in the head." The vampire growled before throwing the bullet on the ground angrily. "Stupid, idiot, borderline brain-dead moron!"

"Well, he had to slow you down somehow." Cassandra spoke from behind him. She was leaning coolly against a rocky wall, arms crossed over her chest.

On shaky legs, Damon rose to his feet and shook his head as if trying to make sure no other bullet fragments were embedded in his head. "I can't stop this. I'm gonna kill him."

"You have to stop it. I can keep you down here for a while until the compulsion wears off." She told him.

"You're really going to try and keep me down here?" He asked her exasperatedly.

Cassandra shrugged, pushing herself off the wall and sauntering to him. "I can certainly try. Besides, I'm the better fighter between the two of us."

"You think so?" He hissed.

"I know so." She scoffed before pushing him against the cavern wall. "You will stop going after Jeremy." Pupils dilated but there was no guarantee that it would work. After all, she couldn't break Stefan's compulsion from Klaus, but it was worth trying.

"Cass..." Damon grunted as his eyes turned crimson red. He was trying desperately to fight the compulsion placed on him.

"Come on, Damon! You're stronger than this! You have to fight it!" She coached him.

Damon clenched his fists so hard his palms bled and in one swift motion, he snapped Cassandra's neck. The hybrid crumpled to the floor without even knowing what hit her. Normally, he'd feel incredible remorse for what he'd done, but the compulsion was taking its toll on him. The smell of Jeremy's blood turned his attention down the tunnels once more.

* * *

The hybrid slammed her feet against the cold forest floor as the trees passed her by at an incredible speed. She'd woken up moments before in the dark caves with a stiff neck and recalled that Damon had done it. She couldn't blame him because she figured that it must have been an added part of Kol's compulsion. Her hypersensitive ears picked up Damon's movements, she was close behind him.

"Damon, stop!" She demanded and the vampire halted. "Please. I know that you don't want to hurt Jeremy, so please stop."

Damon turned to look at her, pain shining in those crystalline eyes. "I can't."

"Yes, you can. You're strong enough to resist the compulsion. I know that you are." Cassandra told him.

"Why?"

"Because I love you. Because you love me. You'd do anything for me, so please...do this for me." She begged and pleaded with him and it seemed to be working. She saw glimpses of the real him as he was entranced by her words.

"Damon, please! You need to fight this!" She pleaded with him but Kol's compulsion was rotting his brain from the inside out. Cassandra peered over Damon's shoulder to see that Jeremy was a few paces away and she could smell his blood on the air. Damon must have smelt it too since the veins beneath his eyes began to protrude.

"I...I can't fight it." He growled.

"Yes you can!" She promised and the two heard a twig snapping in the distance. Jeremy was on the move. Before Damon could even turn his head, his back was pushed up against a tree and Cassandra's lips crushed onto his in hopes of slowing him down. From behind closed eyes, she knew Jeremy was running for his life, but it wasn't fast enough. Damon broke the kiss and pinned her to a tree, snarling and doubling over.

"Get out of here before I kill you!" His blood red eyes begged her to leave. A few shots in his back made his body arch and he let Cassandra go. Jeremy was standing there, armed with his gun, and ready for another shot.

"Jeremy..." Cassandra hushed.

In a last stitch effort to fight part of his compulsion, Damon threw Cassandra to the ground. Elena was quick to help the shaky hybrid onto her feet while Damon faced Jeremy.

"Jeremy." His voice was strained and his body was tense from trying to hold itself from listening to the droning compulsion in his head. Jeremy pointed his gun at him, propping himself up against the tree as he tried to stand. His wound was bleeding heavily but his grip on the gun hadn't faltered. Cassandra squirmed against Elena's grip, knowing that a shot to the heart would kill Damon easily. "Shoot now!" The vampire grunted as his vampiric nature took a hold of him.

"No!" Cassandra screeched but Elena held her tightly.

A single gunshot sounded into the night air but it never hit its target. Stefan rushed to his brother, knocking him against a tree and shielding him from Jeremy's deathly accurate shot.

"Hey, brother. Long time, no see." He greeted Damon sarcastically before roughly snapping his neck. Each person in the woods stared back at Stefan incredulously. "You're welcome."

* * *

The pained shouts of his brother could be heard as Stefan pulled the heavy cellar door closed. The lock clicked loudly into place and he left Damon to his lonesome self as he climbed the steps up to the main floor of the house. On his way, he met Cassandra who had just showered and was eager to see Damon. Just as she passed him, he gripped her upper arm, halting her completely.

"Going to see Damon?" He questioned.

Cassandra yanked her arm from his grip with a huff. "Clearly."

"Why? Scared of sleeping alone?" He quipped and Cassandra narrowed her eyes at him.

"No offense, Stefan. He is your brother but he's my husband now and I'll be dammed if you're going to stop me from seeing him." Her voice was sharp.

"Well, you can't." Stefan's green eyes warned and she was taken aback by his words. "He'll just ask you to let him out."

"No, I won't let him out. He's still compelled to kill Jeremy and to kill anyone who stands in his way." She hissed. "So, why would I put people at risk?"

"Because you love him and he's sired to you." He spoke down to her.

"Stefan-"

"You're not allowed to see my brother until this whole thing is figured out. Unless, you want Damon to snap your neck again, rip Jeremy limb from limb, and completely ruin all shots we have to getting the cure." The hybrid was practically frozen at the way he was speaking to her. Stefan was being driven by his pure greed to get the cure for Elena and it was hurting Cassandra to see him so wrapped up in something like this. Her pained eyes found her boots which shuffled against the floor. "I'm heading out to check on Jeremy. I'll be back soon." He turned on his heel and left promptly however he was only partly telling the truth. Stefan was to meet a certain blonde Original to see if she'd found the key to opening Silas's tomb, his headstone.

Cassandra waited until the revving of Stefan's motorcycle hit her ears before smirking at the closed door. She heard him drive away until not a sound of his bike was heard. "Stupid, pompous, big-headed moron." She cursed the younger Salvatore as she headed for the basement.

* * *

Damon's head turned as he heard the lock being unbolted from the heavy door of the cell. Cassandra stepped inside, locking the door behind her so they could have some privacy.

"Hey there." He groaned weakly and she gave him a smile while crouching beside him. "I thought we weren't allowed to see each other."

"As if your brat of a younger brother can stop me from seeing my husband." She smirked and stroked his cool cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. Stefan snapped my neck and bled me out, but I still feel Kol's compulsion." He told her and she frowned.

"I'm sorry that this had to happen to you." Her hand combed through his hair which was matted with dried blood.

"Tonight's just not my night." The vampire growled and tried to sit up but Cassandra eased him back down.

"Damon, you need to rest." Her voice was stern.

"Just let me out of here or at least give me some blood." He begged.

Cassandra shook her head. "I can't do that. You need to stay down here until the compulsi-" She suddenly stopped speaking as her mind was running faster than her mouth. A look a realization crossed her features before melting into a smug smirk.

"What? What's that look for?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"I'll be right back." She grinned.

"No! Cass, come on! You can't leave me down here!" He protested.

The hybrid pressed a loving kiss to his lip before rising up and heading towards the door. "I love you and I promise I'll be right back!"

* * *

"So, what's the big emergency?" Elena asked.

"Seriously! Call of Duty is waiting." Her brother tapped his foot impatiently.

Cassandra smiled from ear to ear as she looked between the two siblings. "Okay, it's safe to say that Damon has to be locked up because of Kol's compulsion."

"Yeah?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

"How do you break an Original's compulsion?" She asked them.

"You can't." Jeremy shook his head.

"Nuh, uh. Think a little harder. What happened when Katherine was stuck in that tomb and Elijah was daggered?" Brother and sister exchanged glances.

"The compulsion was broken and she was free to leave." Jeremy answered.

"So, we just need to find a way to dagger Kol?" Elena questioned and Cassandra shook her head.

"I've got an even better idea. What if...we _kill_ Kol." The hybrid suggested and both Elena and Jeremy stared back at her. "If Jeremy kills Kol, then every vampire created from his bloodline dies."

"Then that means my mark will grow." The hunter stated.

The baby vampire's eyes lit up. "Kol's vampire line must go back hundreds."

"Thousands!" Cassandra added. "Think about it, all of those vampires will help to grow Jeremy's mark. With Kol gone, Jeremy is safe and Damon won't feel the need to kill your brother anymore! It's fool proof!"

"Kol compelled Damon to kill you. You're gonna kill Kol instead." Elena smirked.

* * *

**Tvdlover87654: Thank you for reviewing! Yes, Damon wants little babies running around! You'll learn more about Giuliana's blood soon!**

**Carly: Thanks for the review! Yeah, Damon's got a sweet way of saying things :)**

**xoxobianca13: Thanks for reviewing, girl!**

**Mia Salvatore: I want them to find the cure too! Go Team Dassandra! Thank you for reviewing, darling!**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Hehe, little Damon's and little Cassandra's would be cute running around! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Nat-Nat 360: Thanks for reviewing! YES! Damon wants kiddies!**

**Whitttyyy76: I'm glad you liked this chapter! I was happy that I could have Damon and Cassandra have the baby talk! Thank you for reviewing!**

**21angle: Long time, no talk! Thanks so much for dropping a review! I am somewhat conflicted as well but I think Damon and Cassandra could still be badass and be parents. Just a thought ;)**

**Lycan Lover 411: Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, Damon wants to be a daddy! And you will learn more about Giuliana's blood in future chapters!**

**sarahhxx: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like the idea of little Damon babies!**

**Guest: Glad you enjoyed this chapter and thank you so much for reviewing! I agree, little babies for Damon and Cassandra would be very cute!**

**purpleXorchid: Thank you for reviewing! You and some others are Team Klaus :-P**

**Daisy: Thanks for reviewing! I am glad that you now like Giuliana's character. I was honestly a little unsure about adding her in, but I really enjoy her a lot! Well, I wouldn't say that I'm better than the show. I am just putting my own spin on the tv show, but thank you so so much for the compliment!**

**Please review!**


	16. A View to Kill

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 16: A View to Kill**

**Beta:**** I finally have a beta! Thanks PrincessOfSilence for your amazing work on my chapters! Check out her stories and give her some love! You won't be disappointed!**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

****If you reviewed the previous chapter - take a look at the bottom! I've replied to them :)****

* * *

"Hey, Lena," Cassandra greeted as she closed the front door to the Gilbert house behind her. The brunette vampire turned and smiled while motioning to the phone that was held up to her ear. Cassandra nodded and busied herself with cleaning up the kitchen; bowls and plates were scattered around and she quickly piled them up in the sink. Last night, she hadn't slept well at all. She tossed and turned but felt uneasy sleeping alone in her bed while Damon was locked up in the cellar downstairs. She saw him this morning and he was still groggy from the blood loss. Unbeknownst to anyone, mainly Stefan, she tossed him a vial of blood knowing that he needed to keep his strength up and not desiccate.

Cassandra heard Jeremy and Matt in the next room shouting and clicking their Xbox controllers as they played Halo, or Call of Duty, or whatever the heck kids played nowadays.

Elena clicked her cell phone off before pocketing it. "Sorry about that. I was just talking to Bonnie."

"That's alright. Have I missed anything?" Cassandra asked as she wiped down the marble surface of the island with a dishtowel.

"No, thankfully everything's been quiet. No sign of Kol." Elena told her. "Bonnie's on board with our plan."

"Good, so when he comes we'll be ready for him." She smiled and crumpled up some empty potato chip bags. "Geez! How much can these boys eat?"

"They're eating me out of house and home." The young vampire sighed and continued to clean up.

"You know, this isn't a fraternity house," Cassandra called into the den where the boys were sitting on the couch.

"I'm training." Jeremy turned over his shoulder and gave her an innocent look.

"Me too!" Matt added with a coy smile.

"Train yourselves to do some dishes." The hybrid scowled and plucked up a stake from the table. She lobbed it into the den, just skimming Jeremy's head. "And put these weapons away!"

"Yes, Mama Salvatore." The teens droned and Elena giggled.

"Little jerks." Cassandra chuckled as she moved to the sink. "At least I know that my kids wouldn't be glued to their Xbox all day." She turned on the faucet and began to wash the dishes but as soon as her hands touched the water, they burned and sizzled. "Ah!" She screamed and yanked her hands out of the sink.

"Cassandra!" Elena rushed to her and held her healing hands. "What happened?"

"I...I don't know. There's something in the water." She whimpered. "It felt like vervain."

* * *

"Very impressive, Bonnie." Giuliana clapped as some flyaway papers settled onto the cold marble floor of the hallways. "I haven't seen Kol run off with his tail tucked between his legs in forever."

"What are you doing here?" the Bennett witch growled darkly.

Giuliana held her hands up to show Bonnie that she wasn't a threat. "Word on the street is that you want your little hunter boyfriend to get rid of Kol."

"He's not my-"

"Ah, ah let's not talk about relationships now when we have much more pressing things at hand." She tsked with a teasing smile.

"Why do you care so much about Kol dying?" Bonnie asked.

"I hate the little bastard. What other reason do I need?" She gave a simple shrug. "I don't want the cure, Bonnie, but Shane mentioned something about if Silas is to be raised..."

"He'll bring back those who died," Bonnie finished with a nod.

"I want my brother back," Giuliana admitted tearfully and Bonnie was struck with sympathy. "I am not anyone's enemy in this fight. I know better than to challenge this town."

Bonnie gave a sigh, fixing her bangs that settled on her forehead, before walking forward to stand directly in front of Giuliana. The two women stood eye-to-eye, neither of them trying to size up or threaten the other, but they both had lost someone near and dear to them and longed to bring them back. "What's the plan?"

* * *

"I wanna call a truce, in the name of Silas," Elena told the Original over the phone.

_"You want to talk about Silas?"_ Kol questioned curiously.

Cassandra nodded to Elena and the baby vampire continued to speak. "I'll meet you wherever you want. I'll come to you."

Kol smirked on the other line before replying. _"I'll tell you what. How about I come to you?"_ The doorbell rang and everyone's heads snapped to the door. Jeremy cocked his gun and pointed it at the door while everyone held their breaths. _"If you want a truce, open the door and invite me in."_

Everyone in the room is at a loss for what to do. Elena opened and closed her mouth a thousand times while Cassandra, Jeremy, and Matt waited for orders.

_"I'm waiting. Let me in and let's talk truce."_ Kol tapped his foot impatiently before knocking his fist lightly against the door.

Cassandra motioned to Elena to keep Kol talking while she took a small blackboard down off the wall. She erased the chalk drawings of sunflowers and positive words of encouragement before scribbling a message to Matt.

_"Hello?"_ The Original called.

"Wouldn't that be kind of stupid to invite you in?" Elena told him through the door.

_"On the contrary, I can't kill your brother with my own two hands, or I'll suffer the hunters curse and spend the next twenty years trying to off myself in gruesome ways."_ Kol snickered and Cassandra showed Matt his message that was scrawled in white chalk.

_"Help Stefan find dagger."_ His eyes ran over the words and he quickly escaped through the back door. If they were able to dagger Rebekah, they'd be on up in this twisted game.

"And I've heard that vervain's back in town, so I can't compel you to kill him either. So, I think it's fair to say you're semi-safe, for now." Kol continued to speak, seemingly oblivious to the panic that lay just inside the Gilbert home.

_"Get out. Get Bonnie!"_ Cassandra presented the newly written message to the hunter but he shook his head.

"I'm the only one that can invite him inside." He whispered low.

_"He's right. Obviously."_ The Original rolled his eyes at their stupidity.

The female hybrid ushered Elena for the door and picked up one of the spare guns on the table, aiming it at the door as Elena opened it.

"You'd think being alive for over a thousand years would teach me some manners, but I couldn't resist stopping by." Kol smirked at the baby vampire and the small army behind her.

Elena swallowed thickly, trying to get rid of the giant lump in her throat. "If I let you in, my brother goes. You're not getting near him."

"Fair enough," Kol replied and the young vampire nodded to her brother over her shoulder.

"You can come in." The hunter told him and left through the back door. Cassandra lowered her gun as well and moved to stand beside Elena.

Kol shrugged. "No gold medals for bravery, I see. You know the thing I love about the modern age is? Music anytime you like." He pocketed his phone and both girls were able to catch a glimpse of a white oak stake pocketed inside his jacket. "Cassandra, darling, how is Damon? Still compelled I imagine since he's not by your side." He snickered and the female hybrid scowled. "So, this is the part where you offer me a drink so we can have a proper chat."

* * *

Cassandra came up behind Kol and she watched him play the video game that Matt and Jeremy were playing earlier in the afternoon. He was quite good at it; she figured that since it was a shooting game. His fingers passed over the buttons on the controller and his eyes twitched over the screen, taking out virtual soldiers one by one.

"Sorry, Elena's got the old people alcohol." She said and held up a bottle of gin.

The Original vampire paused the game and took up the bottle from her. "Yeah, that's the problem with people today. They have no drinking imagination. Turn of the century New Orleans—now, they knew how to make a drink." He walked to the kitchen and Cassandra followed with Elena by her side.

"You lived in New Orleans?" Elena asked curiously.

"We all did. Till Niklaus shoved a dagger in my heart." Kol scowled.

Cassandra flinched at the harshness of Kol's brother. "Why? What did you do?"

Kol looked at her. "What makes you think I did anything? Has your alliance with my brother softened you to his horrors?"

"I don't have an alliance with Klaus." The female hybrid shook her head. "We all had a mutual interest in finding the cure; that's all."

"Had?" The vampire raised an eyebrow at them.

"Yes, and I'm willing to give up looking for it if you promise to leave my brother alone." Elena spoke up and Kol didn't reply.

"And I would give up looking for the cure too if it means that everyone stays safe." Cassandra chimed in and picked up the mixer from the table she had set aside when she found the bottle of gin. "Now, can you teach us how to make this?" She asked him with a little smile and Kol returned it, taking the mixer in his hands.

"I'll get some ice." Elena offered and grabbed a bowl from the counter. She opened the door to the freezer and made sure she heard Cassandra and Kol making mindless chatter before taking out her phone. She read a text from Jeremy saying that they were still looking for Rebekah and to keep Kol in the house for as long as possible. She typed back a reply and filled the bowl with ice. Once she finished, she closed the door and was nearly frozen in fear at the sight of Kol standing before her. Had he caught her red-handed?

"Elena! Are you making the ice? Come on!" Cassandra jeered in an effort to lighten the mood.

"Here you go." Elena offered the bowl to Kol while trying to keep herself calm. He took it hesitantly, still eyeing her curiously before heading back to the island.

"Would you like one?" He asked them.

"I never pass up a drink." Cassandra smirked.

Elena nodded unsurely. "Sure, why not?" Kol then put the ice in the glasses before filling them with alcohol and mixing the drinks.

"You're really good at that game. Considering you've been locked up in a coffin for a hundred years." Cassandra noted politely and took a glass from him.

Kol smiled wolfishly. "I'm a quick learner. Speedy reflexes. It's not much like the real thing, though, is it?" Elena looked up and frowned. "You've killed, haven't you? Or are you one of those Mary Sue vampires?"

Elena shook her head. "No, but I almost did." She remembered Connor and how close she was to killing him but in the end, she was thankful that she dodged that bullet.

"What about you, Cassandra? I know you've killed. How many?" He asked her and she shuffled her feet.

"I've lost count over the years, but I'm guessing your number's a lot higher than mine." She told him.

Kol shrugged. "Like you said, you lose track over the years. So, are we going to talk about Silas or just jibber-gabber?"

Elena gestured to the family room, and Kol meandered over. The baby vampire gave a worried sigh that she was almost caught by Kol with her phone. She practically saw her very short vampire life flash before her eyes. A firm hand on her shoulder from Cassandra shook her back to reality and the hybrid gave her a reassuring nod. She needed Elena to stay calm during all of this. Cassandra motioned for Elena's phone and the teen handed it over willingly. The baby vampire joined Kol while Cassandra was now on phone duty. She had a text from Matt that read. _"No dagger yet. Need time."_

Cassandra sent back some reply along the lines of "keep looking" and joined the two vampires in the family room, but not before grabbing the bottle of alcohol on the table by the neck and lugging it inside. She needed the alcohol tonight to calm her nerves.

"Nobody else seems to think Silas exists, so why do you?" Elena asked Kol.

"I used to run with some witches. Africa in the fourteenth century, Haiti in the seventeenth century, New Orleans in the nineteen hundreds. They all knew about Silas; that he needed to stay buried. I actually hold witches in high esteem." he answered.

"But why Silas? Why were these witches so afraid of him? And why are you so afraid of him?" Cassandra took a seat across from him.

"They said, if Silas rises, he'll unleash hell on Earth. I happen to like Earth just the way it is." He spoke.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "That's pretty biblical."

Kol looked at her and she could almost see a little trace of sadness or doubt in his eyes. "Well, that's the other problem with people today; they've lost faith. And in that loss, they no longer know who they should fear."

The hybrid took a long swig of her drink, draining it to the bottom of the glass, save for the clinking ice and she wrinkled her nose. "Elena, do you have any wine downstairs?" She asked the baby vampire.

"What's the matter, darling? Too much for you?" Kol smirked and Cassandra gave him a smirk back.

"No, it's lovely. I just prefer some wine over anything. It's the woman in me I guess." She replied and looked to Elena who had risen from her chair.

"What kind?" She asked as her eyes darted between the two of them. The baby vampire was getting pretty nervous that Cassandra was kicking her out of the conversation to have some alone time with Kol.

"Surprise me." Cassandra purred and Kol gave a little chuckle before Elena left the two in peace.

"Well, she seems a little jittery," Kol wondered and sipped his drink.

"She's just worried about her brother. I would be too if some punk of a vampire was trying to kill my brother." She replied and leaned back into the couch, slightly relaxed from the gin that was buzzing through her veins. "God, where is that wine?"

"What if I said I don't believe you?" Kol's sudden question caught her off guard but she wouldn't let him see that.

"What? I told you that I like wine," she defended.

Kol sat forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees while his eyes traveled over Cassandra's form. "It just seems odd that you'd be so willing to give up something you want so much."

"Oh, you're talking about the cure," she mumbled. "Look, this whole cure thing, I'm not sure if I'm buying it. There have never been mentions of a cure for vampirism and it suddenly comes up now?" She babbled with a shrug of her shoulders. "I don't know, it all seems like one big hoax to me. And if what you're saying about Silas is true, what does it matter what I want if it puts everyone else in danger?"

"But you want the cure." His dark gaze peered through her, almost burning a hole in her skin. "That's what my brother told me."

"So? I can easily give it up." Cassandra flinched internally at her words. "That's the beauty of being a vampire, Kol. You have an eternity to find things to occupy your time with and none of which include silly little stories about a nonexistent vampire cure." Lies. She was spewing lies left and right just so Kol would consider the truce. Elena had done a shit job holding her own, so now Cassandra had to step up to the plate and convince Kol that they really wanted this deal to be sealed between them.

Kol gave a snicker and rose off the couch. "Well, this has been enlightening. Thanks for the drinks." He handed her his glass and Cassandra rose too, a look of shock painting her face. The Original vampire made his way to the front door while Cassandra was beating her gums together. "I'll take your request for a truce under advisement."

Cassandra met him by the front door, his glass still in hand. "But is there any chance you could be wrong about Silas?" She asked him. "What if it's all one big hoax?"

"Trust me, Cassandra. Something's are better left buried." Kol spoke and closed the door behind him to the Gilbert house. The hybrid was unconsciously squeezing the glass so hard that it shattered in her hand. She hated saying those lies, they hurt so much to hear as they flowed out of her mouth but perhaps it worked. Maybe if she hadn't said them, Kol would have immediately turned their truce down.

* * *

"I can't believe you let him just walk out the door!" Elena hissed.

Cassandra's eyes darkened slightly. "Are you kidding me? What was I supposed to do? Throw myself at him?" She snarled, getting in the young vampire's face. "At least I wasn't shaking like a damn Chihuahua. You almost ruined everything, Elena!"

The girls were about ready to tear each other's throats out when the front door dinged. They held their breaths but Jeremy interceded. "It's Bonnie. She was right behind me." He told them.

Elena opened the door, prepared to meet her witchy friend, but Kol was there instead.

"I've considered your request for a truce. Request denied." The Original smirked and Elena promptly shut the door in his face.

"Oh shit..." Cassandra said under her breath and ushered the brother and sister upstairs.

It was go time.

Kol gave a feral growl. "I'm sorry; I've already been invited in!" He kicked the door open and took a few steps inside. He surveyed that the trio was nowhere to be found but he knew that they were sitting ducks in the house. "Hide and seek? Fine by me." He called and began his search of the Gilbert home.

* * *

Klaus lowered his phone as he sent yet another message to Stefan. "Your brother's lack of communication is infuriating."

Damon was sitting up in his makeshift bed, looking much healthier than before. "It's one of his trademarks like his brooding and his hair."

"I don't understand what's taking so long. I mean how hard is it to steal a dagger?" The Original hybrid paced.

"From a vampire who's been stabbed as many times as your sister, I'd say difficult." Damon offered and Klaus gave a defeated sigh. He reached into his pocket and tossed a vial of blood to the vampire. "Sweet."

"You disappoint me, Damon." Klaus frowned. "You're not trying very hard to get out of here. I expected more the daring escape artist, less the cell potato."

"Well, I am compelled to kill Jeremy and to kill anyone who stands in my way, so I figured it's probably smarter to sit here and chit chat with you than bust out of here like the hulk." The vampire replied.

"How do you think Cassandra felt about that by the way? Your inability to overcome Kol's compulsion for a single moment. Your ability to just snap her neck like a doll."

Damon growled slightly. "She's met me. She knows impulse control's not my strong suit."

"Still, must be hard trying to live up to Stefan. I remember when I compelled him to feed off Elena. He fought it so hard, he actually managed to resist. Now, that's love." The hybrid was having too much fun with this.

"What do you know about love?" Damon asked him.

Klaus crouched down to Damon's level. "I know that you're in love with Cassandra and you want that cure more than anything to start a family of your own. But I think you're afraid of what might happen when we find the cure at the end of the rainbow. What if the cure doesn't work after you try attempt after attempt to procreate? Whatever will you do then? Go back to being a vampire and have Cassandra go back to being a hybrid? You know that will kill her and it will kill you too. Personally, I don't see a fairytale ending for you."

Damon didn't reply. He couldn't even find the right words to defend himself or the fact that the cure would work. There was no evidence of that, so he was just looking at a bunch of "what ifs". He didn't think he could handle Cassandra's tears and grief if this cure couldn't work for them. He didn't think he could deal with his own unhappiness. He promised her that this cure would be for them and that it would give them the great joy of making something precious of their own, but that hope was quickly diminishing and crumbling around him. Klaus surveyed the damage his words were taking on Damon, however he didn't really have time to properly bask in it since his phone rang.

"Well, if it isn't the happy homicidal maniac?" He jeered at his brother.

_"Did you know that your darling former lover, blood bag and her brother are trying to kill me?"_ Kol hissed.

"What?" Klaus gritted his teeth.

Kol scowled. _"Don't pretend like you're not in on it. Your obsession to find the cure clearly triumphs any sibling loyalty you once felt."_

* * *

_"I don't know what you're talking about."_ Klaus stammered.

"I'm going to rip off Jeremy's arm and then beat Elena to death with it just for sport. As for Cassandra, I'm going to drain her dry, and then I'm coming for you!" He threatened before hanging up the phone. He searched the entire first floor of the house but found nothing. The clicking of a crossbow being cocked into place made him turn just as Cassandra shot an arrow at him from the top of the staircase. The Original let out a scream as the wood entered his leg and Cassandra darted up the stairs.

* * *

An angry Klaus suddenly grabbed Damon and held him against the wall by his neck. "What the hell's going on?"

"I don't know," Damon choked.

"What are they all planning?" He squeezed Damon's neck tighter.

Damon gasped for air and wiggled around. "I don't know. I'm stuck in the penalty box with you since yesterday. Stefan won't talk to me and Cassandra didn't come to see me."

Klaus had enough of trying to get information out of Damon the hard way. He held the vampire still and compelled him. "Tell me what you know."

"I don't know anything about a plan." He replied robotically.

"Stay here until I return," Klaus compelled once more before unhanding Damon roughly and flashing out of the cellar.

"I will stay here until you return." Damon copied Klaus's words. the vampire then smirked and peered over at the water bottle that Stefan had left him this morning. It wasn't just a regular bottle of Fiji, oh no. It was filled to the brim with vervain and it filtered out Kol's impossible compulsion along with Klaus's. He was uncompelled for a few hours but he couldn't make a move since Klaus was playing babysitter all day "Or not." Damon sped out of the cell, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Kol heard Cassandra stumbling over her own feet as she ran down the hallway of the upper level. He caught sight of her darting into a room and was quick to follow. He pushed the door open, but Cassandra was shoving Elena's dresser against it. It was an admirable effort to keep Kol out, but the vampire gave one hard shove and the dresser was sent across the room, leaving Cassandra defenseless. She ran to the bathroom and locked the door behind her, but Kol kicked that open too. This was quickly becoming a one sided fight. In a last stitch effort, Kol watched Cassandra run into another room and slam the door shut.

"Are you having fun playing cat and mouse, darling?" The Original vampire called. "Because I can keep this up all night!" His fist smashed through Jeremy's door, splintering the wood and tossing it aside. A stake came flying through the air at him from Jeremy, but he caught it swiftly. "Missed."

Jeremy shot again and Kol caught it with his other hand. Just as the vampire was ready to move for the hunter, the loud popping sounds of bullets exiting a gun were heard. Elena and Cassandra shot multiple rounds at Kol, not one shot missed him.

"Go!" Elena screamed to Jeremy and he ran through his bedroom to one of the side adjoining rooms to make his escape. Kol rushed after him but a few quick shots in the leg from Cassandra slowed him down. The Original threw one of the stakes and it pierced Elena in her thigh. She let out a blood curdling scream and Kol silenced her by smacking her head against the wall.

Kol punched Jeremy in the face, picked him up as if he weighed nothing and launched him down the stairs. Cassandra shot at Kol in the back but Kol was faster. He tossed her against the wall and wrestled the gun from her grip, tossing it to the floor. He gripped one of the posts from the railing and staked Cassandra in the stomach. The female hybrid would have screamed if she wasn't in so much pain. Gasps and groans passed her lips as blood slowly trickled out of her mouth. The wooden stake pierced her body and the wall behind her as well, anchoring her there so she was immobile.

Kol's eyes turned crimson watching the blood dribble over her lips and he licked his own lips at the delectable smell that was in the air. With his index finger, he swiped up the blood and sucked his finger into his mouth. She tasted differently then when he last had the pleasure of tasting her in Denver. Perhaps it was the amount of alcohol that made it taste a little stronger than usual but Kol didn't mind it one bit. In fact, he liked pairing his blood with alcohol. Cassandra wriggled around but each little movement brought her more and more pain from the stake that was lodged in her body. Once Kol was finished sampling her, he removed his finger from his mouth and grabbed her neck, nearly choking her.

"I told my brother I'd drain you dry and I always make good on my promises." He whispered dangerously close to her face. His fangs extended and he reared his head back before biting her ruthlessly. A pained moan left her lips and her eyes fell closed at the rate of Kol's drinking. Blood was leaving her at an incredibly fast pace and she felt her skin growing cold. Kol was sure to make a mess when he fed from her. How dare she try to beat him at his own game and try to kill him no less? He slurped noisily at her neck and crunched down whenever he wanted to hear her whimper weakly.

A sound from the bottom of the staircase made Kol suddenly stop his feast. Jeremy was coming too and he needed to get that arm cut off before he did anything stupid. Cassandra hung limply against the wall and the bite at her neck looked absolutely gruesome. Kol wiped his bloodied mouth with the back of his hand before walking to Jeremy who was sprawled out on the staircase.

"Now, about that arm." Kol dragged the hunter down the stairs by his feet and all that could be heard were Jeremy's groans and protests.

* * *

Kol twirled a butcher knife around as he watched Jeremy squirm around on the island. He managed to strap the hunter down to insure that he wouldn't be escaping so quickly. "Now, like I said, I don't fancy the hunter's curse, so I'm just going to chop of your arm." He told the hunter who wriggled even more. "But don't worry; I'll glue you right up with a bit of blood after." The vampire held Jeremy's head against the cold marble of the island and looked between his right and left arms which were strapped down. "Now, which arm is it? Is it left or right?" He mused but Jeremy didn't answer. "I'll just chop of both to be safe." Kol's logic seemed to work for him as he raised the knife in the air to sever Jeremy's left arm but the slightest twinge of a tickle in his throat stopped him. Jeremy's eyes remained screwed shut as he waited for the blade to come down on his arm but it never happened. The hunter peeked open one eye to see that Kol was nearly gagging on thin air. The knife dropped to the floor with a loud clang and the vampire started to heave in an effort to get whatever was plaguing his system out.

The soft click of heels entered the room and Cassandra stood stoically with blood staining her clothes. "How are we feeling, Kol?" She asked mockingly.

"You...you little bitch." Kol leered at her. "You think a little vervain will keep me down?"

The woman smirked. "No, not vervain. But after this you'll wish it was vervain."

Kol's limbs grew heavy as he felt her blood ebb its way through his veins. With each pump from his heart, Cassandra's blood numbed everything along the way. His nervous system was shutting down and his muscles became useless and weak. Kol fell to his knees and his body shivered from the affects of her blood. He jerked in uncontrollable spasms as he tried to throw up the blood that was causing this paralysis.

Cassandra moved to Jeremy and worked at his bonds but a last minute burst of energy from Kol sent her crashing into the wall. His grip on her threatened to loosen since he had no control over his muscles. All he could manage to catch was a flash of green in her eyes.

"You! I knew it was you!" He growled as Cassandra's case of mistaken identity was solved. That was why when he pursued her upstairs, she didn't use her vampire speed once. It was because this woman was not Cassandra. It was Giuliana.

Elena now joined them in the kitchen and scooped up the knife from the floor. She cut Jeremy's restraints and she sliced the knife into the side of Kol's neck, making him let go of Giuliana. He turned on the baby vampire, snarling wildly but was hit with a spray of vervain from the extendable faucet spout. Kol howled and writhed as the hunter assaulted his body with the harmful spray and Giuliana took the chance to snatch the white oak stake from inside Kol's jacket.

She tossed it to him and she caught it. "Jeremy, now!"

The hunter didn't need to be told twice and he impaled Kol with the stake. The vampire screamed at the top of his lungs as his body caught fire and he crumpled to the ground. Jeremy, Elena and Giuliana backed away from the flaming corpse and Cassandra then joined them from the back door of the Gilbert house. Brother and sister eyed the pair as they looked like twins now except for Giuliana's now green eyes.

"I think I have a case of doppelganger-itis." Elena spoke up and Giuliana's body then started to change. Her pale skin slowly darkened to that stunning olive tone and golden highlights streaked her long waves. The black lines of her tattoo reappeared, drawing its original pattern on her skin as well.

"Nice work." Cassandra smirked at the woman.

"I've gotta hand it to you, Jeremy. Your girlfriend knows her stuff." Giuliana looked to the hunter.

"She's not my-"

"Save it." She held a hand up to stop his protests.

"What did you do?" A gruff voice made the group turn to see Klaus standing in the doorway of the house. His blue eyes watered seeing his brother's corpse still in flames on the floor and his lips were fixed into a deep frown.

"We-we didn't have a choice. He was trying to cut off Jeremy's arm!" Elena stammered.

"Lies! He never would have gotten inside if you didn't set a trap for him!" Klaus growled.

"You said you were going to put him down too!" Cassandra stepped forward.

"I was going to make him suffer on my terms!" Klaus snarled loudly, making Elena jump back slightly. "I'm going to burn this house to the ground. And then, when you try to flee for your lives, I'll kill you all without blinking." He threatened.

"You kill us, you'll never get to the cure. You'll never be able to make any more hybrids." Jeremy told him.

"You really think I care for an instant about my bloody hybrids? I want it, so I can destroy it. I would have killed you all the second we dug it up. But now, I'm just going to watch you burn instead." The hybrid took a step forward but suddenly fell to the ground screaming in pain.

Bonnie Bennett walked over him, stepping into the Gilbert home. "Invite him in. Do it!"

"Come in." Jeremy invited Klaus in and Bonnie used her powers to pull him inside the house. She held him in place while ordering the group to run into the kitchen. They followed her orders without a second thought and she followed, temporarily letting Klaus go. The Original hybrid rushed after them but he hit an invisible barrier. He punched at the barrier but it wouldn't break. Jeremy, Elena, Cassandra and Giuliana ran to the front door, taking their escape while Bonnie chanted a spell to keep Klaus confined to the living room.

"Witch! You can't do this to me!" He was fuming that he was outsmarted by a bunch of teenagers.

Bonnie stepped forward so she was just outside the barrier. "You have no idea what I can do now." Giuliana came back into the house, remembering that Jeremy had left the stake inside Kol's charred corpse.

Klaus hit the barrier a few more times, mainly to dispel his anger rather than break it down. "I will hunt all of you to your end! Do you hear me? Do you?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Giuliana yanked the stake from Kol and happened to catch eyes with Klaus who was staring her down. "I would watch your back if I were you, darling!"

Giuliana frowned deeply and clutched the stake in her hands. Part of her felt sorry for doing this to Klaus, but this was the man who brutally murdered her brother all those years ago. She was just returning the favor by helping to kill Kol. "Enjoy solitary confinement, Klaus." She told him before leaving with Bonnie, white oak stake in hand.

* * *

The group reconvened at the Salvatore Boarding house since that was the safest place to make base camp. Cassandra made coffee for all of them; this had been one hell of a night. Damon was nowhere to be found since Cassandra was the first one to rush to the cellar. His cell was stocked with things a vampire would need if he was to be stuck in there for a while, but her vampire husband was missing and that worried her.

"So, explained what happened to Kol when he bit you?" Elena wondered as she took a sip from her hot coffee.

"It's a mild paralytic and poison. It works to shut down the central nervous system first and the poison rots the organs from the inside. It's like vervain, but this is much stronger." Giuliana explained. "It only happens that way if I will it to happen."

"It's like magic then?" Bonnie asked.

Giuliana blew over her steaming mug, sending the wisps of steam into the living room. "That's what I call it. It's like a defense mechanism."

"How did it get that way? Have you always been able to do that?" Cassandra sat beside her ancestor.

"I think my mom was taking too many herbs when she was pregnant with me if you know what I mean. She was scared of vampires, so I understand why she did what she did but..." The woman rolled her eyes. "I guess I've had it forever, but I can only release the toxin if I chose to."

Jeremy paced back and forth in front of the fireplace which was roaring to life. It warmed the room and cast an amber glow upon everything it touched. He wasn't really listening to the conversation, he was more concerned with staring at his arm. "It didn't work." He muttered pitifully.

Bonnie sighed and stood up from the couch, placing a gentle hand on his bare arm. "It took time for Finn's line to die off. Remember? It'll work."

"What if it doesn't?" The hunter asked her as the front door opened. Pairs of eyes snapped to the foyer and Cassandra's heart leapt in her chest seeing Damon there.

"Where's that Gilbert optimism?" The vampire proclaimed and Cassandra hopped up off the couch and ran at him with arms wide open. "Hey you." Damon caught her, hugging her tightly to him and he lightly kissed her hair. "Sorry I missed all the excitement."

Cassandra laughed into his shoulder as her hands splayed over his strong back. Her heart melted as his musky, masculine scent entered her nostrils and she hugged him tightly. "I'm just happy to see you." She whispered to him and he pulled back a little. He cupped her cheeks and planted one of the sweetest, softest kisses upon her lips. Her small hands ran up and down his sides as she kissed him a little deeper.

"Looks like I didn't miss much," Stefan spat and slammed the front door shut, breaking the pair from their sweet reunion. The cocky vampire held a rock under his arm as he met the group in the living room. "Got the Silas headstone."

Elena nodded and stepped forward, meeting him halfway. "We're just waiting for Jeremy's mark to grow. Klaus is trapped in our living room."

Bonnie stood now. "Temporarily. I drew on the new moon to bind the spell. We have three days to find that cure. Four max."

"If we don't, we might as well look up Katherine Pierce and see if she wants some company in hiding. 'Cause he will come after us." Jeremy spoke.

"Guys, we'll find it. Now that we got Rebekah taken care of, all we need is professor Shane and then we'll have everything we need." Cassandra smiled and so did the rest of the group. Well...all but one did.

"Yeah, I didn't uh...I didn't dagger her." Stefan told them and Elena's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"What?! Why not?" She asked heatedly.

"I didn't need to. She's on our side." He spoke.

Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest. "Rebekah isn't on anyone's side but her own."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "She handed over the headstone. I mean, she wants to find this cure more than any of us."

"Why would you possible think that we could trust her?" Elena hissed.

"Let me guess, she pledged her allegiance to you while you were naked in the sack?" Damon blurted out and the entire room was stunned into silence. All eyes were on Stefan and the vampire suddenly felt the walls closing in around them.

"I bet you were just dying to get that out, weren't you, Damon?" The younger Salvatore growled.

"Oh, was that supposed to be a secret? Maybe you should have made that a little clear while you were bleeding me dry in the cellar." Damon spat and Cassandra's blood boiled. "Not to mention snapping my neck whenever you felt like it."

"You told me that you keep him down and away from Jeremy. You didn't say that you were abusing him just for sport!" Cassandra hissed and Damon cupped the back of her neck.

Stefan shrugged as if this conversation had no effect on him. "So? I was having some fun with my brother." He snickered and Damon had to hold Cassandra around the waist to keep her from lunging at Stefan.

"You call that fun, brother?" Damon gritted and nudged Cassandra behind him. She stood next Elena who was still in shock of hearing that Stefan slept with Rebekah.

"You're lucky I just bled you dry enough to keep you down and not to desiccate you." Stefan told him.

"Stop it! The both of you!" The female hybrid snapped.

"Now, why don't you tell him to calm down, Cassandra? You've managed to use that sire bond pretty well so far, haven't you?" The green eyed vampire smirked evilly as Cassandra just stared back at him. He was really using the sire bond excuse again?

In seconds, Damon lashed out and punched Stefan in the jaw, knocking him down. Everyone in the room remained silent as Stefan held his healing jaw. "The sire bond is broken, dick!" The vampire sneered darkly.

The younger Salvatore got to his feet, ready to strike his brother when Jeremy let out a loud scream. He ripped his shirt down the middle, exposing his chest and his right arm for the entire group to see that the mark was growing.

"It's happening," he spoke.

"Oh my god..." Elena hushed, finally able to see the dark lines that were being drawn over his skin.

"You can see it?" He asked her and she nodded as the group watched the black swirls lace up over his shoulder and across his chest.

"Here we go." Damon murmured.

* * *

The blue eyed vampire shook out his wet hair as he traipsed out of his shower and gripped a towel, tying it around his waist. He felt much better getting the dirt, blood, and grime off his body after spending a few days in that damn cellar. His body was squeaky clean and he adjusted the white plush towel around his waist as he moved to the bedroom.

The lights were dimmed and large white candles were strategically placed around the room. The bed was dressed in red silk sheets and his gorgeous wife was sprawled along them.

"Did I miss something?" Damon asked her.

Cassandra giggled and shook her head before rising up from the bed. "No, I just wanted to do something special." She met him and Damon's blue eyes snuck a peek at her smooth naked skin that rested underneath her red satin robe.

"And why is that?" His hands found her waist and his fingers squeezed her through the satin.

"Because I missed you." Her fingertips trailed up his strong shoulders which were still a little damp from his shower.

"Show me." He whispered huskily. His eyes were glued on her perfect pouty lips, just itching to close the distance between them. "Show me how much you missed me."

Cassandra smirked and yanked the towel off him. She took a moment to appreciate his godly physique and thanked the heavens that he was all hers. His strong shoulders and chest were perfect to wrap her arms around when she clung to him the throes of their passion. His arms enveloped her in a sweet embrace whenever she needed his comfort. His abdomen rippled, the muscles jumping and twitching beneath the skin as she trailed her index finger down them. Cassandra's eyes then reached his pride and glory and her mouth watered just looking at him. His cock stood proudly, the weeping head was just begging to be touched. Cassandra tossed the towel aside and slowly unknotted the ribbon on her robe. The fabric spread just so as it hung on her shoulders and Damon raised his hands to slip underneath the satin to caress her skin. Cassandra shivered as he pulled her flush against him but was quick to blur them on the bed. He lay beneath her and she began to place gentle kisses along his warm skin.

Damon threaded his hands in her hair, but she pinned his wrists to the mattress. She gave him a coy smirk, baring her fangs before going back to work. Her lips fluttered over his skin and their worked downwards to meet his rock hard cock. She gripped him firmly and hovered her mouth over his head. She gave him one slow lave over his slit and she heard his sharp intake of breath. Cassandra stroked his shaft while suckling his head between her lips. Damon was delightfully hard in her mouth but the skin that covered his cock was sinfully smooth. He twitched in her mouth as she slid more of him inside while her hand stroked the part that wasn't stuffed in her mouth. Her tongue lapped and swirled around him, lubricating every single inch of him as she took him down her throat. Damon moaned and groaned as Cassandra bobbed up and down on him. Her throat took him completely and on each downward stroke, she hummed around him. The vibrations sent shocks up his spine and his back arched. Through her thick lashes, she peered up at Damon and swallowed around him. The vampire's body tensed, absolute pleasure ran through his veins. He just might combust from the amount of ecstasy that was coursing over him.

"Cass, if you keep doing that I'm...I'm not gonna last." Damon panted as his hips bucked into her mouth. She just hummed around him, saliva and pre come dribbling past her lips. His wife swallowed around him one last time before letting him go. He bounced against his stomach and glistened from the dim glow of the candles.

"I was just showing you how much I missed you," she replied with a little smile.

"So, get your little sexy behind over here and really show me." The vampire crooked a finger to beckon her over. Cassandra crawled up his body, shimmying her hips from side to side, before settling her soaking lips over his cock.

"With pleasure, love." She purred and gripped him, sliding him against her dripping core. Cassandra sank down on him ever so slowly until he was completely stuffed inside her. Her head leaned back and she let out a primal moan feeling him lightly buck into her.

"Oh, Damon." Cassandra rocked her hips, steadying herself by placing her hands on his chest. Her lips parted and her breasts bounced as she moved atop him. Damon gripped her ass, pulling her against him as he thrust upward inside her. His eyes flooded with blood and his lust for her grew immensely as her walls tightened around him. Cassandra eased him up, hugging her to him and kissing his face.

"It was torture without you." He told her and scratched his nails up and down her back and sides. Little dribbles of blood escaped from the spilt skin and that only made their arousals grow even more. Cassandra took one of his hands and brought his blood encrusted fingers to her lips. She suckled one in her mouth, tasting her blood and cleaning his long finger. "God, I missed you so much." The hybrid brushed her fangs against the pad of his finger before letting it go.

"I love you, Damon." She whispered against his lips and bit his neck with her fangs. He shuddered and yanked at her long curls before piercing the skin on her shoulder. Their sacred bond connected them even further, so much so they were convinced they were one being. They rocked together, meeting their completion and they exploded together. Sweat, blood and juices mixed and mingled, the scent of wild, passionate sex lingering in the air. Damon skimmed his hands over his wife's flushed skin and she giggled dreamily at the feeling of him touching her. She bucked a little and wrapped her arms around his neck, quivering in his hold. The vampire lowered her down the bed and rolled beside her. He pulled the covers over them and his eyes happened to catch a view of her taut tummy. Klaus' words repeated in his head and his good mood was instantly shattered to pieces. He rubbed a hand over her stomach and scooted down to press his lips against it. He knew Klaus was just trying to get under his skin and so far it was working.

"I'm sorry," Damon whispered against her stomach and gave the skin one more kiss.

Cassandra stirred lightly just in time to see Damon settling next to her. "What's wrong? You okay?" She asked him tiredly.

The vampire put on a charming smile and cupped her cheek. "I'm fine. Go back to sleep, alright?" He kissed her lips softly and Cassandra snuggled close to him. She nuzzled her face in the crook of his neck, sighing and breathing him in. Damon lightly stroked her hair, his mind running a mile a minute. Tonight, he would be robbed of sleep because of Klaus's doubt that was placed in his brain.

* * *

**Tvdlover87654: Thank you, lovely! I hope you enjoyed my twist on this chapter :)**

**PrincessOfSilence: Thanks so much for being an incredible beta! I'm glad my chapter was able to make your week and I'm glad you're feeling better :)**

**xoxobianca13: Thanks so much for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Hehe, maybe Damon will win next time ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

**WinchesterSalvatoreLover: Glad you loved it, girl! Thank you for reviewing!**

**21angle: I agree with you 100%! Stefan is a bum! He'll get what's handed to him, don' worry! Thanks so much for leaving a review!**

**DevilInWhite: Gaaahh! Sorry girl :( I miss Kol too and I cried when he died! Thank you so much for reviewing!**

**ADORATIO: Hmm, I would love to add more Klaus and Cassandra moments but the show is making it a little difficult :-/ I am hoping that the next few episodes will allow for some of those moments. Thank you for reviewing!**

**Lycan Lover 411: Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, I had mixed emotions about them killing off Kol, but he wouldn't stop making attempts to kill Jeremy :(**

**Nat-Nat 360: Hehe, yeah Stefan's being a jerk! I wish Cassandra was in the show too! I think the CW and Julie would get a kick out of her! Thank you for reviewing :)**

**Whitttyyy76: Thank you so much for the lovely review! I'm so happy that you love my story and my writing skills! You have a story?! Please publish it! If I didn't publish my first story, I wouldn't be here today! I would read and review it :)**

**Please review :)**


	17. Into the Wild

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 17: Into the Wild**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence - seriously, she's the best!**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

****If you reviewed the previous chapter -take a look at the bottom! I've replied to them :)****

* * *

"Damn, Qetsiyah couldn't decide to bury Silas in Puerto Rico?" Cassandra muttered as she pulled her scarf tighter around her neck. The cold didn't bother her, but she would much rather be on an island paradise rather than freezing her butt off. The group of them had travelled with Shane to where the cure was buried, along with Silas, while Caroline and Tyler stayed home in Mystic Falls.

"Where the hell did you take us?" Damon quirked an eyebrow at Shane while he sharpened a long knife.

"Two hundred miles off the Nova Scotia mainland. If you recall, the whole point was to hide the cure on the world's most obscure, desolate island," he told the pair.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah? I thought the whole point was that no one found Silas, the oldest, deadliest freak in the world."

"Yeah, that too." Shane remarked and held up a tube of sunscreen, offering it to Damon. "Sunscreen?"

Both husband and wife exchanged a skeptical side glance. "Is that a joke?" Damon inquired and Cassandra took the bottle.

Shane seemed to straighten up and realized who exactly he was talking to. "Right."

"SPF 50?!" Cassandra read off the label. "That's if you're in the middle of the Sahara not off the coast of Nova Scotia!" She scoffed and handed the tube back to him. Shane didn't reply, instead he took the sunscreen and moseyed on over to Bonnie and Jeremy.

"Still don't trust him," Damon muttered under his breath.

Cassandra's nose wrinkled. "What's got you all pessimistic?"

"Well, this all seems a little odd to you, right?" He asked her. "A group of us on a remote island searching for some ultimate cure for vampirism."

"Oh, come on, Damon; think of it as an adventure." She beamed. "And it's time away from Mystic Falls and Klaus." The raven haired vampire seemed to tense hearing the Original's name. His thoughts still swirled with doubt.

"I guess." He shrugged and looked out onto the beach as little waves rippled at the shore. The both of them suddenly turned just in time to see Rebekah pile drive Elena to the ground. The girls launched heated remarks at one another and Cassandra jogged over.

"Alright, ladies. That's enough." Cassandra's voice boomed. Rebekah gave her a nasty look before sulking off near Stefan and the hybrid helped Elena up off the ground. "You alright?"

"I'm not apologizing for not wanting her here." Elena huffed and straightened out her jacket which was rumpled after her scuffle with Rebekah.

"You know Stefan is just being a cocky douche." Cassandra told her but sure the demeaning term was shot right into Stefan's eardrum. "I'm sorry you had to find out the way you did." She offered and Elena shrugged sadly.

"Me too." She nodded. "Just think, we'll find the cure and we never have to deal with Rebekah ever again."

"Amen to that." The hybrid laughed. "Although it'll be hard to imagine her without fangs."

Elena then looked over Cassandra's shoulder to see that Damon was talking with Shane, Bonnie and Jeremy were working on deciphering the tattoo, and Stefan and Rebekah were doing their own thing. "I have to ask, will you take the cure?"

Cassandra stared back at Elena before nodding and smiling. "I want to have kids. We want to have kids."

"Oh, that's amazing." Elena beamed. "And Damon's okay with that? Being human, I mean."

"He said he was." Cassandra told her and then looked to her vampire husband. "Although...he's been a little weird lately. Distant."

"Maybe he's just nervous." The baby vampire shrugged.

"I hope that's all it is and that he's not getting cold feet." She said. "We've talked about having kids, but we always knew it was impossible. But, now it's possible and it's in reach. It's so close now, Elena."

The vampire grinned. "I can't wait to babysit."

* * *

"Satellite phone lost its signal," Shane noted as his phone beeped noisily.

Damon wrinkled his nose. "Well, that's a good sign."

"Why do I feel like I'm in an episode of Lost?" Cassandra muttered as she stepped over some loose tree roots.

"Is anyone else a little creeped out?" Elena asked aloud.

"So then leave. Out of everyone, your presence is the least necessary." Rebekah barked rudely.

Stefan rolled his eyes, not in the mood to hear their bickering. "Please don't start."

Rebekah shrugged her shoulders, her blonde hair falling over them. "I'm merely stating the facts. Jeremy has the spell on his body. Bonnie is the witch that unseals the cure. Shane is the human compass. You and I have the tombstone, which does God knows what. Cassandra is a hybrid, so she can kill anyone in her path. And Elena has no point."

"What about me?" Damon asked.

"You have a nice behind," Cassandra told him with a smirk. The vampire smirked too, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Ugh, I take that back. You two are just nauseating." Rebekah bellyached.

"Make sure not to sleep in the tent next to ours." Cassandra called over her shoulder teasingly and members of the group either chuckled or groaned. They walked for hours and nightfall was upon them. The island was dark and the nightlife was starting come alive.

"Centuries after Qetsiyah died, there were these miners who were excavating a well on the island. Suddenly went mad. They bled themselves dry. No apparent reason. So, the legend spread that these miners, in exchange for a drop of their blood, saw visions of their lost loved ones in the well they were digging. The word traveled and explorers sought out the well to see if the legend was true." Shane told the group.

"So, the well was magic?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you know, some people believe the voices of lost souls were just a wind vortex whipping through the caves, and visions were caused by inhaling the island's poisonous plant life." He explained.

"And what do you believe?" Elena asked him.

"I believe in magic. My wife and my son died within months of each other. And so...I decided to try the well out for myself. I offered up my blood and I waited." The group all waited with bated breath to hear what happened next.

"What did you see?" Cassandra spoke up.

"I saw my wife. I saw her eyes, her smile. My blood let me see her again." The professor told them.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, got it. Don't eat the poisonous flowers." He side stepped Shane and continued walking while the rest followed suit.

"Wait. Stop. Stop! Stop," Shane called and everyone halted their steps. "Is everybody paying attention? Our first lesson in survival." He plucked up a rock from the ground and tossed it to where everyone was about to walk. It triggered a net trap that swung up into the trees.

"Damn, I'd hate to be trapped in that thing," Cassandra muttered.

"Stay together. Keep your eyes open," Shane told them and he led the group around the trap. Once they were out of sight, Cassandra gripped Damon's arm and she pulled him aside to press him against the trunk of a nearby tree. He was just about ready to question her when her lips brushing against his was the answer.

"I've been waiting to do that all day," she whispered huskily and trailed her lips over his jaw.

"Cassandra, I know you can't control your sex drive," he gasped when her tongue encircled his earlobe. "But we need to stay with the group."

"It's not my fault that I've missed you. You've been distant the past few days and I'm worried." She told him and pulled back as to not distract him by her pleasurable ministrations. "You do want this," she took one of his hands and placed it on her flat belly, "don't you?"

Damon's fingers skimmed over the fabric that covered her stomach and felt his heart swell to the point of exploding. Of course he wanted it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong with this whole plan.

"I want this more than anything." Damon rubbed her belly, wishing that a little life was already growing inside, but he'd have to wait a little longer for that.

Cassandra smiled and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. Damon responded immediately, his hand tunneled into her hair while the other held her tightly around the waist. Their kisses quickly grew frantic, eager to do more.

"Damon," her soft moan reached his ears.

"They'll notice we're gone." He panted into her neck.

"Like I care," Cassandra yanked his lips back onto hers and their tongues battled for dominance. Damon growled animalistically and shoved Cassandra's back into the tree to which she replied with simply switching their positions to the way they were when they first started their escapades. Her lips were against Damon's neck and his hands were in her hair when he heard the sound of something cutting through the air. Damon pushed them to the ground just as an arrow was embedded in the trunk of the tree right were his head was. The pair looked up to see a man with a bow and arrow, aiming it at them. Fangs emerged and they were ready to pounce when the man wielding the bow let out a gasp. His body tensed and blood dribbled from his lips before he crumpled to the ground. Damon helped Cassandra up off the forest floor and they drew closer to see that the man was killed by an axe in his back.

"What the hell?" Damon quirked an eyebrow.

"Looks like we're not alone on this island," she murmured before taking his hand and hurrying to find the rest of the group.

* * *

"I came as soon as you called. What happened?" Giuliana burst through the front door of the Gilbert home to see Caroline whimpering on the couch in Tyler's arms while Klaus sat smugly on an arm chair.

"He bit me." The blonde told her.

"All for good reason, love." Klaus snickered. "You just wouldn't shut up."

Tyler rose up off the couch, stalking to where Klaus was sitting. "Heal her!"

"Now, why would I do that?" The hybrid tapped his chin.

"She'll die if you don't heal her!" Tyler fought.

"Okay." Klaus bit into his wrist and extended his arm to Tyler. "Beg me to save her life."

"Is this what you want? To remind me that I'm powerless against you?" Klaus didn't answer, he just merely watch the wound on his wrist heal up. "Fine. You win. I'm nothing. Now save her. Please."

Klaus smirked. "I'm sorry, mate; I didn't quite catch that."

"Please," Tyler begged.

"Please..." The Original hybrid trailed off.

Tyler took a deep breath. "Please save her life."

"See, now I think you're just telling me what I want to hear. I mean, you did call me pathetic earlier. And wouldn't it be more pathetic of me to help now, knowing that, hours ago, you announced your plan to kill me in a manner in which you're debating because you want it to have a certain amount of flair? I'm just asking." Klaus snickered as the wound closed up for good.

"Tyler," Giuliana had spoken up for the first time since she entered the house. "Take Caroline home. Get her comfortable." She told him and he stared back at her.

"But..."

"I'll fix this." She told him with a positive nod and the young hybrid scowled back at Klaus before gently cradling Caroline to him and leaving the house. Once the door closed, Giuliana took a chair from the kitchen, making sure to step over Kol's charred body. She took the chair into the living room and placed it on the floor right in front of Klaus's makeshift throne. She sat and leaned forward, her hands on her knees.

"I think it's time you and I had a chat, Klaus."

* * *

The following morning after everyone had made camp, the group awoke to find Jeremy missing. They all jumped into action because without Jeremy, they had nothing. Damon stayed behind while Cassandra went with Elena, Stefan, and Rebekah to search the island. The two female vampires bickered to no end, making both Stefan and Cassandra roll their eyes. Their arguing stopped when Elena stepped on a trip wire that set lose a trap that was aimed right for her, but Rebekah stopped it. The girls then decided to quietly head back to camp and try another direction, leaving Stefan and Cassandra alone for a little while.

"You do realize that it's a bad idea to leave those two together, right?" Cassandra quipped as she continued to walk by Stefan's side. He didn't give her a reply, he just kept walking. "Look, I know we've been on the outs lately..."

"Well, you can thank your husband for punching me across the face," he grumbled.

"You deserved it. The sire bond is broken, Stefan." The younger Salvatore stopped walking and turned to see her nod. "I broke it the night of the Winter Charity event. And I made it clear that, after the bond was broken, if Damon didn't love me anymore, then he was free to make his own choices."

A brooding line on Stefan's forehead erased itself once his face relaxed slightly. He stared back at his new sister-in-law. "Are you serious?"

Cassandra nodded. "I didn't want him to be mine if he wasn't mine to have. I gave him the choice and he chose me."

"I, uh, I didn't know that." The vampire shifted his stance.

"I just wish I knew what was bothering you. Are you angry because I married Damon?" She asked.

Stefan let out a long, deep sigh. "At first, I was. I thought that the sire bond was ruling him. But he...he really loves you, Cassandra. I guess I just felt like I was being replaced when he married you."

"Replaced?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Stefan, I could _never_replace you. That's nearly impossible since you have way too many lines on your face." She joked and he chuckled a little. "I'm serious, Stefan. I love your brother more than anything in this whole world. I promised to spend an eternity with him and I'm going to do just that."

"And what about the cure? What will you two do about it?" Stefan asked her.

"We'll both take it." She told him with a confident smile. "Damon and I want to start a family of our own and I want to give that to him."

"You'd be willing to become human to give him a child of his own?" The green eyed vampire was in awe that he'd have a niece or nephew.

"I'd do anything for him. As for what happens after the baby...I haven't decided if I want to be a vampire or even a hybrid again." She shrugged. "I'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Stefan smiled, happy that he and Cassandra were talking like civilized human beings again. He began to walk through the woods and she followed. "Come on, let's keep looking for Jeremy."

* * *

Giuliana took a sip from a bottle of alcohol she found in the Gilbert kitchen and offered it to Klaus who didn't take it. She shrugged and took another chug.

"You know, I've been asking myself what is keeping me from ripping your throat out and I'm not really finding a concrete answer." Klaus noted.

"Go ahead. Do it." Giuliana told him. "Then you'll know what your brother's last meal tasted like just before he died."

Klaus sped forward, gripping her slender neck in his large hand. "There are other ways for me to kill you."

"If you think so." She breathed and broke his wrist with a quick flick of her own. The hybrid groaned and Giuliana was able to knock his feet out from under him. "It feels good to know that I can still take you down after one bottle of gin."

Klaus chuckled from his spot on the floor. "This is actually amusing. Do you think that beating me up will make me want to heal Caroline any faster?"

Giuliana shrugged her shoulders. "It was worth a shot. Why did you bite her anyway?"

"Boredom." Klaus picked himself up and dusted off his clothes.

"Honest answer." She pursed her lips and she happened to catch site of Kol's body again. It was under a blanket, but she could still see his burnt hand peeking from underneath. "If it's any consolation, we're even now."

"How do you figure, love?" He asked her.

"You killed my brother and I helped to kill yours." She replied simply. "I guess we're square now."

Klaus stood by her side and looked to his dead brother. For a moment, the two of them just stood in silence, as if mourning Kol's death in their own way. Klaus clenched his fists while Giuliana said a little silent prayer for Kol's soul even though there were many a time where she believed that he didn't have one.

"I want you to heal Caroline." She spoke up.

"No," the hybrid growled and paced the floor. "Tyler needs to learn his lesson the hard way."

"That's what this is about? Making Tyler suffer? Hasn't he suffered enough?"

"He knows nothing about suffering!" Klaus sneered.

"You bit Caroline because you're hurt!" Giuliana blurted out and Klaus stopped his pacing. "You're a thousand years old, Klaus, but that doesn't mean you don't feel pain anymore."

"How could you possibly think that?" He asked her.

"I see it now. You're upset about Kol's death, just like how I was upset when Alexander was killed." She told him. "That one little smidgen in you that feels makes me think that you're capable of being forgiven for the horrible things you've done."

Klaus stalked over to her so they were now nose to nose. "But you can't. Can you?" She didn't answer him. Instead, she remained completely silent, watching and waiting.

"If you can help Caroline..."

"Why should I give her another chance?" Klaus was seething now.

"Because you gave me mine." Giuliana spoke, her green eyes meeting his astonished blue ones.

_Giuliana pulled her sister down the hall and into her room before locking the door behind them. She hurriedly gathered a bag and threw some items inside like clothes and jewelry to pawn. The Originals were wreaking havoc on the Ricci family. Alexander and the rest of the Five had daggered all of them in their sleep but Klaus awakened and set his siblings free. They had killed Alexander and the brotherhood in a ruthless rage. Blood spattered the walls and body parts were scattered along the floor. Giuliana was now in charge of getting her siblings out of a trap door in her room. Her mother and father were waiting just outside the system of tunnels that led away from the house and one sibling was left._

_Quello che sta accadendo, sorella?" [What is happening, sister?] The young girl asked fearfully as she heard screams coming from the maids and servants. She had to be no older than her twelfth summer._

_"Non so spiegare, ma è necessario prendere questo e correre il più velocemente possibile." [I can't explain, but you need to take this and run as fast as you can.] Giuliana handed her younger sister the bag and shooed her to the opening in the wall._

_"Ma che cosa dici di te?" [But, what about you?] The blonde girl peered up at her older sister._

_Giuliana took her wrists, holding them tightly. "Isabella, mi andrà bene. Per favore, devi andare." [Isabella, I will be fine. Please, you have to go.]_

_A loud bang against the door made the wood splinter and crack. They were here. Isabella stared at the door in fear and Giuliana took up a sword, ready to fight whoever would come for them._

_"Che vengano." [Let them come.] She wielded the sword grandly. The door was kicked open and a bloodied Kol sauntered inside._

_"Hello my darlings,"__he__crooned sweetly and Giuliana nudged Isabella behind her._

_"Stay back!" Giuliana slashed the sword through the air and Kol lurched back slightly, laughing at her._

_"You amuse me, Giuliana." He quirked an eyebrow at her before his dark eyes landed on Isabella. "Hello there." Isabella grabbed onto her sister's skirts, hiding her face in them. "Oh, how cute."_

_"You leave her alone. I know you are after me, but leave her out of this." She growled._

_"She is just as guilty as you are." The vampire noted. He rushed past Giuliana and pinned Isabella to the wall. He reared his head back, his teeth were now pointed fangs and ready to pierce the skin, but Giuliana thrust her sword through his back. The sharp tip nearly skewered Isabella, but she pushed the groaning and gasping vampire off her._

_"Run, Isabella!" Giuliana pushed her sister for the door and was right behind her when Kol threaded a hand in her hair and yanked her to him. The girl let out a scream as she felt hair being ripped from its follicles and Kol's fangs were pressed against her neck. Isabella halted in her tracks and picked up the sword that had skewered Kol earlier, pointing it at him._

_"What have we here?" Kol teased her. "Now, sweetheart, don't make me kill your sister."_

_Isabella stiffened and her eyes flicked to meet Giuliana's. Her grip on the hilt of the sword tightened and Giuliana shook her head. "No, get out of here."_

_"But...you," the girl whimpered._

_"We'll have fun together." Kol smirked, his fangs peeking out from behind his lips. With one last look to her sister, Isabella dropped the sword and ran for her life. Giuliana let out a sigh of relief and hoped that she could get away in time before Kol was finished toying with her._

_"She is an adorable little thing." He purred. "But, you are an exquisite woman."_

_"And you are a monster!" The girl seethed._

_"You hurt my feelings, darling." Kol frowned and brushed his fangs along the column of her neck. "Now, how should I kill you? I could drain you dry and feel you grow cold and weak in my hands." He wondered aloud. "Or I could make it quick for you and snap your neck."_

_"Bastardo!" [Bastard!] She cursed._

_Kol chuckled evilly into her ear as one of his hands snuck down the front side of her dress. Her heartbeat suddenly kick started and Giuliana swore it would break her ribs. "Before I think about killing you, I'd much rather have my way with you." He cupped her womanhood roughly through her dress and she immediately started screaming. He covered her mouth with his hand and he could feel tears wetting his skin, however that didn't make him show her any mercy._

_"Brother," Kol snapped his eyes from the crook of Giuliana's neck to the bloodied form of Klaus in the doorway._

_"What do you want, Nik?" The younger Mikaelson snapped._

_"There are some other servants that need to be killed. I'll handle this one." Klaus nodded to Giuliana who froze. She knew that all of the Mikaelsons had a hand in killing her brother, but Klaus was covered in the most blood, so he was obvious that he did the most damage._

_Kol scowled and rubbed Giuliana through her dress, making her cry even more. "I am busy. Can't you see that?"_

_In an instant, Kol was thrown off Giuliana and pinned to the wall. Klaus held him at his neck, squeezing so hard that his windpipe was cracking under the pressure. Giuliana was too scared to move. She knew if she ran that they'd hunt her down._

_"I said, leave!" Klaus's voice boomed off the stone walls and he roughly shoved Kol for the door. The Mikaelson growled under his breath, taking his leave and Klaus sped to Giuliana, pinning her to the wall._

_"If you're going to kill me, just do it!" She shrieked. "Don't touch me the way he was going to!" Klaus didn't answer, he merely looked at her. She suddenly slapped him hard across the face that she could spy a handprint on his cheek for a second before it disappeared. She went to strike him again but he held her wrists tightly. "Monster! Demon! Devil!" She sobbed loudly, nearly wailing in his hold. Again, he didn't speak, but his eyes did all the talking. He was angry with Kol that he would force himself on her when he should have just killed her. Klaus had always enjoyed playing his with food, but it was never forced. Giuliana didn't deserve that, no one did._

_"Go."__It__was so quiet that it could barely be heard over her sobs, but she heard it. Klaus uncurled his hands from around her wrists and could see little purple bruises on the skin. He took a step back from her and she still cowered in the corner as if unable to process that he was letting her go. Giuliana's eyes happened to catch the astounded ones of Isabella who was hiding by the door and the woman took a cautious side step, eyeing Klaus the entire time. He watched her as well, but didn't make a move against her. As soon as Giuliana left the room, Klaus let out a feral roar and buried his fist into the wall. He let his damn humanity get to him and that hurt more than anything._

"I never understood why you let me go, but now I know." Giuliana's voice brought him back. "Please, Klaus. Help her. You don't have to do it for anyone, but at least do it to remind yourself that it's okay to feel."

Klaus gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, he hated when she was right. He knew how to feel and most times it was just easier to forget that that he could. With a short growl, Klaus bit into his hand and extended it to her. Wordlessly, Giuliana took the empty gin bottle from the floor and let his curative blood dribble into the bottle.

* * *

Shane struggled against his tight bounds as Damon circled him. He and the vampire got to talking about the cure and the later wasn't happy with the answers he was getting from the professor so he resulted in tying him to a chair and beating the answers out of him.

"Where is the cure?" Damon growled.

"Does it matter? I think we both know you'd rather just torture me. Torture gives you a sense of control, especially with your relevance slipping away." Shane noted as he watched Damon calmly snap a metal rod in half. "And look at you. Here you are, so close to the cure. You're starting to freak out a little bit. Listen, you want my advice? Leave. Go. Don't put yourself through this."

"Why not?" The vampire twirled the rod around in his hands, just waiting for the right time to use it.

"I know you want a family, Damon. Why are you going to let yourself live through that pain?" Shane panted. "That kid of yours will have to realize that its father and mother are monsters."

Damon brought the rod across Shane's face so hard that the skin split and blood trickled from the wound. "Enough." He growled darkly.

"Just leave the island. Don't put yourself and Cassandra through that kind of pain." He spoke. "You're doomed, Damon. See, you're not torturing me, man. You're torturing yourself by looking for the cure."

"I said, enough!" Damon hissed and readied the metal for another meeting his Shane's face.

"And what happens if you two decide to become vampires again? You'll watch your baby grow old and die. And let me tell you, and there's no greater pain in the world then when a parent has to bury their child." A hand gripped the professor's throat from behind and Damon held it tightly.

"I don't want to hear another word from you, so how about I rectify that right now?" Damon snarled evilly and took Shane's head in his hands. He prepared himself for the final kill and the joy of snapping the professor's neck when he was suddenly shoved out of the way.

Cassandra held Damon against the wall and shoved him roughly. "What is wrong with you?" She sneered at him but he simply pushed past her and exited the cabin. The hybrid rushed to Shane and tunneled a hand in his hair, yanking it back so he was looking up at her. "What did you say to him?"

Shane grunted, causing Cassandra to pull his hair even more. "The truth."

"What truth?" She probed.

"Why don't you ask him?" The professor groaned painfully.

Cassandra unhanded his hair and ripped off his bounds that Damon had used on him. "You stay away from my husband or else, as soon as that cure is found, I'm burying you alive with Silas. I think you two will be very happy together."

"Damon!" She called as she jogged after him. "Shane is the only thing that's keeping Bonnie and all of us safe while we look for the cure!"

He whipped himself around. "When have you ever expected me to care about everyone else, Cassandra? I don't care. I don't care about Bonnie or anyone else on this island. I don't care about some lame-ass cure for vampires, either."

Cassandra was stunned for a few moments. "How can you say that right now? We're so close to it."

"Because what if this whole cure doesn't work? What if it's one big lie?" He asked her.

"So, that's what this is about? You're scared of it not being real? Damon, don't push me away. Not now." She begged him. "That's what you do, Damon. You think that you don't deserve something, so you ruin it. I'm not gonna let you pull that this time!" She growled as he turned on his heel and walked away.

"Take the cure with me!" That stopped him right in his tracks. "Take the cure. Be human with me. We can be together. Grow old together. This doesn't have to be hard anymore." She told him quietly. "Even if we can't..." Her voice broke and it wavered dangerously as she was on the verge of tears. It hurt to think after coming so close that Damon was backing away and now that caused doubt within her too. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you either way, Damon, regardless if we're humans or vampires."

Damon was still facing away from his wife; he couldn't bring himself to look at her. "You know, I used to miss being human. Now I can't think of anything more miserable on Earth." He grumbled and walked away from her. Cassandra couldn't even find the strength to call out to him. She was just so upset and broken that she sank to her knees and cried alone.

* * *

Rebekah rifled through Cassandra's bags in her tent, a look of panic strewn on her face. She, Stefan, and Elena had just found out that Bonnie and Shane were missing along with the tombstone. They all knew that the professor leading them to the cure was too good to be true. The fabric of the tent slid open, revealing a puffy-eyed Cassandra.

"What the hell are you doing in my tent?" She growled and Rebekah flashed to Cassandra, holding her by the throat.

"Where's the tombstone? What have you done with it?" The blonde seethed

Cassandra tried to pry Rebekah's hand off her throat. "What are you talking about?"

Rebekah scowled. "Like it's not bloody obvious? All you people ever do is betray me and here you go again!"

Stefan and Elena then entered the tent hearing the racket from outside. "Let her go. She didn't take it."

With a rough shove, Rebekah sent the hybrid to the floor. "Was any of this real? Or was it just a ploy to distract me while Shane ran off with the tombstone?"

"You think I would do that? You think I would let some psychopath run off with the cure?" Stefan raised an eyebrow and Rebekah's face softened slightly. "Every single moment of my last 146 years has been ruled by the pain of being a vampire and this cure ends that. It ends the guilt and it ends the suffering. And you really think I would jeopardize that?"

Rebekah sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Fine. You didn't take it. But that doesn't mean I trust you two."

"Why would I want to ruin the chance at a cure?" Cassandra hissed. "You and I want the same thing, Rebekah. You're just too blind to realize that."

"And what about Damon? He very well could have the cure by now?" The blonde sized her up.

Cassandra swallowed thickly. "Damon doesn't even want the cure." Everyone in the tent went quiet including Rebekah. "I was stupid to think he'd want to be human again..."

"Where is he now?" Stefan asked and Cassandra shrugged.

"I don't know. I heard Shane telling him to go home, so I'm on my own out here." She shuffled her feet.

Elena frowned hearing about Damon and reached inside her jacket and withdrew the white oak stake.

"I didn't take the tombstone, but here." She handed the stake towards Rebekah. "Consider this a peace offering."

"Don't you get it, Elena? There is no peace. We're all screwed!" Rebekah shrieked.

"Exactly, Rebekah. We're screwed. Bonnie's gone. Shane's got the tombstone. Jeremy's missing. Who knows if Damon's coming back. So, us four, right here, this is all we've got." The baby vampire spoke and each being took a glance at one another. "So we're either in this together...or it's over. For all of us." She held out the stake to Rebekah again and the blonde took it.

* * *

**grapejuice101: Thanks so much for reviewing!**

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**Silently Tearful: I'm so glad that I could make your day! Thank you so much for reviewing and take a look at "Love Like This" since I updated it yesterday.**

**Tvdlover87654: Thank you for leaving a review! Hehe, yeah I thought Mama Salvatore was very cute! And I got the idea with using Giuliana from the Katherine Pierce book. A doubt planter! Ah! Almost spit out my Sprite when I read that!**

**xoxobianca13: Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm glad that you enjoy Damon and Cassandra as a couple :)**

**21angle: Thank you for reviewing both chapters! Sorry that you didn't read chapter 13 till now, but I'm glad you enjoyed it ;) Stefan's being a total douche and the cure is being taken a little too far.**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, Damon is not thinking to clearly! Bad, Klaus! Hehe, I'm glad you liked that line ;)**

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**Mia Salvatore: Thank you, girl! In the "O Come, All Ye Faithful" chapter, Cassandra did break Damon's sire bond.**

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**Please review :D**


	18. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 18: Down the Rabbit Hole**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

****If you reviewed the last chapter - I've replied to you at the bottom :)****

* * *

It was absolute hell for Damon as he woke up the following morning only to find out that he was tied tightly to a tree with vervain ropes. He remembered walking to the beach last night to ready a boat and leave the island when he was shot with an arrow in his back. If he wasn't angry before, he sure as hell was angry now. He was besting himself up for what happened just moments before with Cassandra. He couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth and he wanted to take them back and just cast them aside, however Cassandra needed to know how he felt about living out the rest of his life as a human. Sure, for someone like Stefan or Elena or even Caroline it seemed so easy just to throw their vampirism away and start life over as a human, but for Damon, it would be the hardest thing in the world. Damon yanked the arrow from his back with a growl and he pounced on the first sound he heard in the dark brush. He struggled and fought with a man who seemed almost as strong as he was. The vampire got the man on his stomach and sat on his back, holding his neck in a vice grip. A flash of black ink on the man's hand caught his eye. He was one of the Five. The hunter fought back, throwing Damon off him and he ruthlessly snapped the vampire's neck.

That's all Damon remembered and he cursed himself for not following Professor Creepy's rule.

Always stay with the group.

The hunter was crouched by a campfire, roasting what Damon could only imagine was some innocent bird and he turned the rotisserie around to give his breakfast a crispy outside.

"Something botherin' you?" The hunter asked, his Scottish accent was easily noticeable and the vampire let out a pathetic groan of pain.

Damon scoffed, "Would you believe me if I said mosquitoes?"

"Aye, I would. How does it feel when a relentless eating machine is draining the blood from your veins?" He raised an eyebrow at him.

"Itchy." Damon wiggled around in his bounds, but it only made it worse.

The man let out a little chuckle. "Your friends from Mystic Falls think you're funny, Damon?"

Damon rolled his eyes irritably. "You obviously know who I am and where I'm from. Have you been spying on me?"

"Aye, I have." The hunter stood and sauntered over to the vampire. "You and your wife, Stefan, Elena, your witch, Bonnie. Do you need her to cast the spell written on your pal, Jeremy's hunter's mark. The tattoo that looks exactly like this?" He showed Damon his hunter's mark.

"You wanna know something, just ask," Damon grumbled.

"I've been killing vampires my entire life. Still, this thing refused to reveal itself to me. That was, until three days ago and it just magically completed for no apparent reason." He explained.

Damon rolled his bright blue eyes. "Come on, man. Do I look like I know anything about tattoos? Look at my skin. It's flawless."

"Ah! You're not taking me seriously." The hunter shook his head and was now standing before Damon. "I don't blame ya. You don't know me." He held up a pointed wooden stick that he'd been holding over the fire and the vampire flinched back slightly. "So let me introduce myself." The hunter stabbed the stick into Damon's neck, the skin breaking and blood trickled from the wound. "My name is Galen Vaughn, and you'd better start talkin'."

* * *

"Dammit. I knew this would happen," Cassandra cursed as she paced along the shore.

Elena clicked off her cell phone and lowered it from her ear. "That was Caroline. She's going to try and help us from home. Tyler and Giuliana are going to look for the sword so they can try to translate it."

"Let me guess," Rebekah stated. "Damon got cold feet and ran off?"

Cassandra glared at the Original vampire, her pacing ceased for only a moment. "Shane got in his head and when I find that walking history textbook, I'm gonna rip him limb from limb."

"We can't kill Shane if he's helping Bonnie." Stefan chimed in.

"I can find her another mentor that's not a loon, Stefan!" She growled.

"We all need Shane to get the cure, so as much as you want to kill him, hold off on it." The green eyed vampire told her firmly.

"Fine!" She stomped her foot along the sand as she tried to catch Damon's scent on the wind.

"Don't worry about Damon, Cassandra." Elena comforted her as she sent the last picture of Jeremy's tattoo to Caroline. "If I know Damon-"

"Yeah, I thought I knew Damon too..." Cassandra trailed off, her eyes were glued on the horizon as the small waves rippled at her feet. "I guess I don't anymore."

* * *

"Well, if it isn't little orphan Lockwood. Come to show how laughably impotent you are against me?" Klaus chortled as Tyler and Giuliana walked through the front door of the Gilbert house.

"I'm just trying to help my friends find the cure." Tyler stated as he took a clothed bundle from Giuliana's hands.

"Found this in your attic." The woman stated. "I never pegged you for a packrat."

"Thank God you guys are here." Caroline bellyached. "You have no idea how irritating his is."

Klaus just smirked widely at the trio. "You think finding the sword brings you closer to the cure?"

"You tell me. I was playing around with the handle on the ride over, and I found this." Tyler unwrapped a small piece of leather on the hilt of the sword, revealing some sort of turning device.

"And what do you think 'this' is?" Klaus raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"It's called a cryptex." Caroline spoke up and the other three faces in the room cast a curious glance at her; the blonde vampire seemed like the last person to know anything about a cryptex. "I've seen The Da Vinci Code." She defended. "You turn the different sides to the different symbols to get the translation on the other side."

"And with the magic of the internet, Elena sent over these." Giuliana held up print-outs of Jeremy's mark.

"So now all we have to do is cryptex away." The blonde vampire plopped down on the couch along with Tyler and Giuliana.

"If you happened to want to help, we wouldn't stop you." The brunette woman offered.

"Right." Klaus nodded. "Well, might I suggest using the magic of the internet to purchase an Aramaic-to-English dictionary from your nearest retailer?"

Tyler turned to Caroline, a blank look resting on his face. "What's Aramaic?"

"It's a dead language. It hasn't been used since, like, biblical times." She replied and took up a photo of Jeremy's mark.

"Qetsiyah's native tongue, I'm guessing." Klaus spoke.

"Do you know anything about it, Giuliana?" The blonde asked her.

"Hey! I'm old, but I'm not that old!" She snatched the photo from Caroline's hands.

"You know, even if you had the best dictionary in the world, it could take days to translate. Perhaps weeks." Klaus mused as he sat on the window ledge.

Giuliana's green eyes met his sneaky blue ones. "Alright, what gives? You clearly know something we don't."

Klaus shrugged innocently, "In bas so-teen-too ara-ma-eet."

"What does that mean?" Caroline asked warily.

"If only you spoke Aramaic," the hybrid grinned evilly.

* * *

"There's no service," Rebekah stated as she watched Cassandra dial a number and hold the phone to her ear. "I don't know why you keep calling."

"It's worth a shot." The hybrid huffed in frustration as the same automated voice resounded in her ear for the umpteenth time.

_"The number you've reached is not in service at this time. Please check the number or try your call again."_

Cassandra hit the 'end' button angrily and pocketed her phone. "Dammit. Leave it to Damon to get lost on an island."

"Well, what do you expect? He only thinks for himself." The blonde shook her head and sat beside Cassandra on a log bench in the sand.

"No, this time _I_ was the one being selfish. I didn't even ask him how he felt about being human for the rest of his life." She ran her hands through her mused hair. "I just assumed that he'd be okay with it.

Rebekah just watched Cassandra try to dial the number again before throwing it into the sand and kicking it away when the signal faded. The female hybrid crouched over, holding her head in her hands. Now, the Original wouldn't admit this out loud, but she was jealous of Cassandra. She had everything that Rebekah wanted and longed for. Cassandra was already happily married, she was on her way to becoming human and ready to start a family. "He loves you, you know that?"

Cassandra sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes. "You're suddenly being nice. What's that all about?"

"No need to be rude about it," she spoke.

"Sorry, I'm just worried about him." The brunette told her. "Rumor has it that you want the cure too?"

"I do. I want what you have with Damon. I want to be human and have my own family." Rebekah nodded.

"You'll find it someday. You'll find it when you least expect it." Cassandra smiled.

"I hope so," she smiled too.

* * *

Vaughn pulled on Damon's rope once more as they trudged through the thick forest. The vampire had no choice but to follow the hunter since his bounds were attached to a rope that wrapped around Vaughn's body. With each step Damon took, his skin sizzled as the ropes rubbed abrasively against him.

"Mind telling me where we're going?" He asked the hunter.

"At the wishing well lies an entrance to a crypt. In the crypt lies Silas. And with Silas lies the cure, which will allow me to kill Silas, bring the mission of the brotherhood of the Five to an end. You're my leverage, Damon; I use you to get your witch friend to open the passage to Silas' crypt for me." Vaughn explained and Damon shook his head, chuckling almost.

"What a minute, you're using me to get to Bonnie Bennett? Whoa, brother, ha! You picked the wrong vampire." He told him.

Vaughn shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we'll see about that."

Damon groaned, "Here's the deal, Shrek. My witch friend will open the passage for you. No leverage necessary. We don't care about Silas. All we want is the cure, so you cut us in on your share, and we'll get out of your hair."

Vaughn stared back at Damon in confusion. "You really don't understand, do you?"

* * *

Back in Mystic Falls, Caroline, Tyler and Giuliana worked for long, tedious hours on translating every single symbol on Jeremy's tattoo. They even used Giuliana's tattoo as a model since some of the pictures Elena sent weren't clear.

"Okay, this is it. We've translated all the symbols on the tattoo." Caroline stated proudly as she admired her work on index cards. Each symbol was drawn on a card and it had the meaning written on it as well. The blonde vampire took up a few cards and read them slowly. "Passage inside...requires a young senator, and a pretty flower." She tossed the cards back on the table in frustration. "God! This doesn't make any sense!"

Both Tyler and Giuliana raised their eyebrows, "What the heck does that mean?" He asked.

"Yeah, I mean, a senator? A pretty flower?" Giuliana added and took up a few more cards, trying to find a set of markings and drawings that could be understood.

* * *

Damon gritted his teeth a little, "No, I don't understand, so why don't you explain it?"

"Silas is immortal. I have to cram the cure down his throat in order to kill him." Vaughn told him.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with me and my friends?" The vampire quizzed.

* * *

Klaus murmured a saying in Aramaic which made the trio turn and listen. "Requires a powerful witch and a hunter in full bloom." He translated the sentence into English and it was now making more sense.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked

"I don't need to tell you my reasons. Caroline, bring my sword over here." Klaus beckoned and Giuliana stood instead, grasping the sword in her hands.

"This sword was never yours. It was my brother's." She glared.

* * *

"I need to use the cure against Silas. Your friends, they can't exactly have it, now, can they?" Vaughn posed.

"So, you use it on Silas, and we'll use it for whoever wants to use it." Damon reasoned.

* * *

Giuliana held her brother's sword up to Klaus and his blue eyes ran over the carvings in the hilt. "Silas rests on the far side, the means of his destruction at hand." He glanced at the pictures of Jeremy's tattoo on the computer screen. "Turn the cryptex to the right." Giuliana obliged him and the cryptex clicked into place, revealing more carvings in the hilt. "Stop. The top of the hilt reveals a key to a nautical map. Turn it to the left." He told her and she turned the very tip of the hilt. "Now turn the other piece." She turned the smaller piece underneath the base of the hilt. "There's something else."

"What is it?" Giuliana asked him.

* * *

"You don't want to share it with us?" Damon raised a curious eyebrow.

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't." The hunter smirked.

"And why can't you share it?" He growled heatedly.

"So it is written." Vaughn told him.

* * *

Klaus spoke another Aramaic phrase and the trio exchanged glances with one another.

"What does it mean?" Caroline asked him and Klaus just gave a wry grin.

"Klaus, what does it mean?" Giuliana hissed, her grip on the sword tightening.

* * *

"There is only one dose." Vaughn stated and Damon's world came crashing down with that one simple sentence.

* * *

Damon was shoved forward once again by Vaughn as they walked through the woods. One dose. Those words echoed in his head with each step he took. He could kiss the cure goodbye since he knew that Vaughn was going to shove it down Silas's throat. The vampire was quickly growing tired of not being able to just rip out the hunter's throat. "You touch me again-"

"And you'll what? Threaten me?" Vaughn chortled. "Sorry if you're upset about the cure, Damon, but we've got road to cover."

Damon growled low in the back of his throat. "I don't care about the cure. In fact, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to be a vampire. You know what? If I wasn't a vampire, then I wouldn't be able to do nine of the things I'm gonna do to you when I'm free." Vaughn shoved Damon again and he gave a gruff reply. "Make that ten."

"Right." The hunter smirked. "From what I've observed when I've watched you and your little friends, you should be singing a totally different tune."

"All right, I admit, okay? My friends want the cure and I want them to have it. And I get very upset when I can't provide for my loved ones." He told him. "But tell me something, Vaughn, if all you're worried about is Bonnie the teenage witch, then why'd you save Cassandra and I yesterday?"

Vaughn's features wrinkled. "How did I do that?"

"We were making out in the woods when this big guy with white paint all over him decided to join the party. You stuck a hatchet in his spine." The vampire recounted.

"I don't remember doing such a thing." Vaughn shook his head and continued walking. He pulled on Damon's rope, but the vampire refused to keep walking until his question was answered.

"We're on a remote island. There's you, me, and a bunch of unpleasant locals. You expect me to believe that someone else took out that monster truck of a human being that went after me and my wife?"

"I'm telling you, it wasn't me." The hunter denied as he shoved Damon's shoulder, continuing their trek. They just happened to stumble upon a limp body, his throat was ripped out and the open skin was being eaten away by some maggots.

"Was that you?" The vampire asked and Vaughn shook his head.

"No. You?"

Damon pursed his lips. "No."

The hunter did a quick survey of the area around him, looks like he had more threats to be mindful of. "Well, I reckon there really is someone else on this island."

* * *

"What did Caroline say?" Elena asked as the group walked out of the mess of trees.

"I don't know. We lost the signal," Rebekah answered too quickly for Cassandra's liking, but the hybrid simply shrugged it off. Little did any of them know, Rebekah had spoken with Klaus when he had helped Caroline, Giuliana, and Tyler translate the tattoo. Klaus wanted Rebekah to have the cure for herself since she wanted it and he also let her in on a piece of information that was most helpful to her. "Come on, this way." She led them to the edge of a very high cliff and looked back at her phone. "We need to get down and across. Advantage, vampires: all we have to do is jump."

"Wait, wait. Um...maybe you should leave the map behind." Elena reasoned. "In case you fall, you don't want anything to happen to the phone."

Rebekah sighed exasperatedly. "Are we doing this again? I thought we were a team?"

"Guys, we don't have time for this." Stefan immediately jumped in between the two vampires, trying to save himself the headache of breaking them apart. "Elena and Cassandra, you two go first. We'll be right behind you."

Elena walked to the very edge and peered over. A lump formed in her throat and she tried to swallow it down, put felt like she was trying to dry swallow a big pill. Her hands felt clammy and her heartbeat was ringing in her ears. Cassandra placed a comforting hand on Elena's shoulder, bringing her back to reality.

"Come on, there's nothing to it." She told her and tightened the straps on her backpack. "Meet you at the bottom." With that, Cassandra took a running leap off the edge. She flew through the air with such grace and the wind whipped through her long curls, giving the illusion as if she was floating. The hybrid plummeted towards the bottom of the crevice, the sound of her body falling whizzed in her ears as the ground looked as if it was charging for her. Cassandra landed lightly on both feet and looked up to see Elena jumping off the cliff behind her. The baby vampire landed beside her, not as gracefully, but graceful enough and she took a moment to survey the incredible distance of how far she'd fallen.

"Woah," the vampire awed.

"Told you it was easy and fun too." Cassandra giggled and both girls waited anxiously for Stefan and Rebekah to join them. A few long moments passed by and Elena and Cassandra could only hear hushed murmurs on the shaky winds.

Something clearly wasn't right.

Cassandra focused her sense of hearing to the best of her ability, nearly straining it and it must have been a gust of wind that sent some frightening words into her eardrum.

"There is only one dose of the cure." Her heart dropped into her stomach as the weight of that statement took her by surprise. Her face fell and she almost wanted to kick herself for not even thinking about that kind of logic. Of course there could only be one cure and now it would be a race to see who would claim it first.

"Cassandra?" Elena called as she watched the woman's face go from happiness to horror in a matter of seconds. "What's wrong?" The sound of Stefan's neck being snapped echoing off the cavern walls and both girls watched his body crumple to the ground before Rebekah ran off.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Cassandra growled. "Stay with Stefan. I'm going after that blonde bitch!" Elena didn't have time to protest Cassandra's orders seeing she was already out of sight.

* * *

The inside of the cave was dark and gloomy, with only a few shreds of sunlight streaming through some rock formations above them. Both hunter and vampire observed some ropes that were anchored to the rocky ground and they taped to a large hole in the middle of the cave.

"Well, here we are. Looks like someone beat us to the punch." Damon noted. Perhaps Jeremy, Shane, and Bonnie had beaten Vaughn to the cure.

"That's a shame, Damon. I have no use for you anymore. Hate to kill ya." Vaughn smirked at him.

"Ditto." He nodded. "You know, that pesky hunter's curse and all. Alright. How do you want to do this?"

Vaughn gripped the rope tied to Damon's neck. "I'll make it quick and painless." He yanked on the rope roughly, but Damon resisted. The vampire grabbed onto his end of the vervain soaked rope despite the sound and searing pain of his skin burning.

"Wish I could make the same promise." Damon growled and Vaughn used a knife to cut the rope on his end. Damon then worked to pull the rope off his neck, groaning in pain. He then yanked off the ones tied to his wrists just as Vaughn prepared a gun.

"I'm gonna kill you. And then I'm gonna get to that damn cure, and I'm gonna give it to the woman that I love." Damon vowed as Vaughn aimed his gun right at Damon's heart.

"Your attachment to your friends will be the end of you." Vaughn's voice was dark and threatening. They suddenly heard footsteps from the cave entrance and Damon grinned. Finally, someone was coming to his rescue!

"You don't know my friends," he told Vaughn but his face fell once he saw Rebekah appear. "Or my enemies." The blonde vampire flashed to stand beside Damon while Vaughn stood opposite, his gun pointed at them.

"Are we gonna dance or are we gonna play?" Damon smirked.

"You know he can't hurt me, Damon, unless he's got the white oak stake." Rebekah spoke.

"Oh, he doesn't, but he's got other toys." Vaughn pulled the trigger and three bullets embedded themselves in Rebekah's chest. They hardly affected her and she sped for the hunter, grabbing his throat, but Vaughn stabs a spiked grenade in her chest alongside the bullets. Rebekah looked down at it just as Vaughn pressed a fuse and the grenade detonated, sending numerous wooden spikes throughout her body. The blonde Original fell to her knees, a blank look strewn across her features before crumpling to the floor.

"Thanks for taking the fall first, blondie." Cassandra chuckled darkly as she flashed to Vaughn and held his neck in a vice grip. "It's a damn shame that I can't kill you. I certainly wouldn't want to hear that goofy accent of your when you come back to haunt me. So, instead I'm going to use you to my advantage." She leaned in close, her breath tickling the hunter's face. "Where do I go from here to find the cure?"

"I'm not telling you anything, demon!" Vaughn choked as his face was starting to turn blue.

Cassandra threw him down to the floor, roughly smashing his head against the cavern floor. The hunter groaned and a little trickle of blood ran down the side of his head. "I can torture you to the point where you'll want to tell me how to get to the cure. Now, where do I go from here?"

"You'd take the cure away from your friends for your own selfish use?" He spat weakly.

"Yes, I would." She told him and squeezed his neck harder.

"Cass...the curse." Damon rasped. "The hunter's curse."

"I know, I know." Cassandra sang. "Don't kill him." Vaughn's eyelids fell closed and his body grew slack. She hadn't killed him, but the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to pass out. "How about we take a little nap." She rose and stepped over Vaughn to meet Damon.

"Nice trick there." He breathed.

"I'm full of surprises." She told him confidently and looked over Damon's features. His face bleeding freely, burn marks covered his neck and wrists, and his breaths were shallow. Cassandra's arms enveloped him, hugging his weak form to her. "I was so worried."

"You know me. I can handle myself." Damon quipped and hugged her back as much as his injuries would allow. She pulled back and gently kissed his lips, the taste of his blood lingering on her tongue. Their eyes met and the couple remained frozen in their spots. Not a word was spoken, but through their eyes, they communicated a multitude of emotions. Anger, pain, despair, grief. Damon was the first to speak; his voice was raspy and breathy.

"Cass," he started, but she promptly stopped him.

"I know, Damon. I know." She spoke sadly and shuffled her feet. For a few moments, the reality of the situation engulfed them, swallowed them whole and they were faced with the realization that the cure for them was not possible. All of the fighting, wishing, hoping had gone to waste. It was all for nothing.

Cassandra's lips parted to speak, but all that left her throat was a series of gasps as her vocal chords tried to desperately create a sound. Damon spied a sharp stake that was pierced through her chest and little dribbles of blood trickled over her lips. Vaughn had awoken from his nap and stabbed the stake farther into Cassandra's body.

"Mind if I cut in?" The hunter smirked and Damon charged for him. The two men held each other at the forearms, shoving and taking harsh swings at one another. Vaughn was then able to withdraw another weapon from his arsenal and shot it at Damon. It was a bit larger than a gun and it shot out a tightly wound lasso-like material. Damon flew backwards from the force of the blow and the lasso secured him by the neck to a pole behind him. The tell tale sizzling of his skin alerted him that the lasso was soaked in vervain and Vaughn stood before the vampire, a stake in his hands.

"Time to say goodbye, Damon." Vaughn rose the stake high and the vampire struggled against the choking hold of the lasso. Before the hunter could kill his prey, Cassandra jumped on his back, burying her fangs in his neck in an effort to get him to drop the stake and back off from Damon. Vaughn must have lived on vervain because Cassandra groaned as the burning taste entered her mouth; she couldn't even taste his blood because it was so highly concentrated with the poisonous herb. Vaughn dropped to the floor, weakening and Cassandra immediately removed her fangs. The spit out his blood, her tongue and the insides of her cheeks were seared with the sizzling of the vervain. The pair wrestled from dominance, each one was eager to get a leg up on the other. Cassandra managed to get a few hard hits in at the hunter just as he took some swings at her.

"Damon!" Stefan's voice and hurried footsteps reached their ears, but Vaughn and Cassandra continued to fight. She knew that she couldn't kill him, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let him win this fight. They grunted and growled at one another as they rolled along the floor and Damon's eyes suddenly widened seeing that they were too close to the edge of the opening that led to the lower cavern.

"Cass! Look out!" He warned and that was the last thing Cassandra heard as she was plunged into darkness with Vaughn's hand at her throat.

* * *

Giuliana watched heartbrokenly as Tyler and Caroline shared their last goodbye kiss before Tyler stalked off into the night. Caroline let a few more tears fall from her puffy eyes and then she went home as well, leaving Giuliana to babysit Klaus. She walked back into the living room to see Klaus leaning back cooly in one of the armchairs.

"You look pretty pleased with yourself." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Klaus smirked widely. "I am. Tyler and Caroline should be kissing the ground I walk on for letting that mutt have a head start."

"No one should ever have to kiss the ground you walk on." She grumbled. "Why can't you leave them alone?"

"He was unsiring my hybrids." Klaus spoke with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You killed his mother." She frowned.

"He should be happy that I didn't kill him." He told her and stood, straightening the lapels of his jacket. "I'm a bit hungry, darling. Mind fetching me a blood bag from the kitchen?" Giuliana rolled her eyes and trudged to the Gilbert kitchen. She threw open the refrigerator and took out a blood pack or two along with an apple for herself. Walking back into the room, she tossed the packet to him and leaned against the window sill. She bit into the fruit, her teeth piercing the red skin of the apple and the juices exploding on her tongue. Klaus sipped from his blood bag as he admired the now clean skin on her left arm. Mysteriously, her tattoo had disappeared earlier on in the day and it seemed like it was now gone forever. Klaus assumed it was because Bonnie had done some sort of spell to open the cavern where Silas was buried. The skin on her arm was now completely smooth and unmarked.

"Find something interesting, Niklaus?" Giuliana's teasing voice broke him from his longing gaze at her arm.

"Perhaps," he smirked.

"You know, out of all of your brothers, Elijah was the most well-mannered." She stated before taking another bite of her apple. Klaus then felt a sudden change in the air, he didn't feel as constrained as he did previously. His blue eyes scanned the wooden arches in the house that held him prisoner and they didn't seem as restricting.

"And I always preferred blood when it was fresh." He suddenly flashed at her and sunk his fangs into her neck. Giuliana beat at the brute, but his arms encircled her waist, keeping her close as he drank in hungry gulps. He knew that the spell on the house had been broken and he knew for a fact that Giuliana certainly wouldn't let him walk out the front door, so he had to act on the opportunity that he was given. The bitten apple dropped from her hands and onto the floor, rolling about till it rested on a knot in the linoleum. The woman let her eyes droop as he emptied her blood from her veins and she grew weak in his hold. However, she was smirking as he continued to slurp at her neck, knowing that Klaus's feeding would be interrupted by her will to change her blood. Klaus made sure to drink his fill, but leave enough to keep her alive before setting her down on the floor. He used his thumb to wipe away a dribble of blood as he watched Giuliana's chest rise and fall with each pained breath.

"Sorry about this, love, but I believe something tragic has happened to Bonnie." Klaus told her and tuck a wave of hair behind her ear.

"You disgust me." Giuliana's voice was low and weak.

"Shh, darling, don't waste your voice." He cooed when suddenly, he felt his throat swelling. Giuliana peered at him to see that he was now choking and spitting up the blood.

"It might not kill you, but I bet it will stop you from biting me ever again," she spoke and watched him writhe.

"Wench!" Klaus grabbed her throat and squeezed tightly.

"I've been called worse." Giuliana chuckled. "Better get someone to eat and quick before the toxin paralyzes you."

The hybrid tossed her back to the floor, her body thudding against it and Giuliana could barley move. He'd taken so much blood and she continued to bleed out from her neck. She was lying in a puddle of her own blood as a dark figure loomed over her. It wasn't Klaus, no, he was already gone from the Gilbert home. The figure carefully stepped around the pool of blood as to not ruin his shoes and crouched down to Giuliana's side. His fingers ghosted over her cheek and eyelids fluttered, trying to open but they were just too heavy. Perhaps it was her brother, Alexander, who had come to take her away from this cruel world, but Giuliana would never know as she felt her already shaky grip on reality slip and the figure leaned over her body.

* * *

Down the rabbit hole they fell.

Even as their bodies sliced through the air, they desperately tried to grope at one another. They heard the worried shouts of Elena and Stefan as they fell deeper into the cavern. Cassandra had hoped that the fall alone would kill Vaughn knowing that she walk away with a few minor injuries that would heal rather quickly. A thud. A crunch. Gushing blood and broken bones.

Vaughn hit the floor, his head knocked around a bit and he could a few ribs poking out of place. He got to his feet as quickly as he could and yanked a flashlight from his belt. The lower chamber was much larger from what he could tell and it led to a series of tunnels that would lead him to Silas, but there was one other problem.

Where was Cassandra?

He waved his flashlight around, hoping to give away her hiding place, but she was nowhere to be found. The hunter then heard a gruesome death rattle from a darker part of the cavern. With careful steps, he drew closer and his flashlight illuminated a horrid sight. Cassandra's body lay torn open on a jagged rock formation. The sharp rock went through her back and out her stomach, creating a hole where her bloodied organs could be seen. Blood stained her entire being, running over her limbs and even her face. Empty brown eyes seemed to be frozen in time, looking at nothing in particular and her mouth hung open. Perhaps that was her final gasp of breath as she felt the rock rip through her. Vaughn wiggled the light across her eyes and found no movement. Smirking, he knew his threat was squashed but that changed when Cassandra's arm lurched forward and her hands curled around his throat.

"Mind helping me down from here?" She groaned. Each movement felt like she was dying all over again and her body was trying to heal itself but it was very difficult with a gigantic rock shard through her torso. Vaughn snapped the wrist that was gripping his throat in one swift motion, leaving Cassandra to catalogue another broken bone to the already long list.

"I don't think I'll be doing that, lass." Vaughn easily slipped out of her grip, the blood coating her hand making the traction of their skins nearly impossible. He looked above to see the ropes being jostled and gathered that Cassandra's friends would soon be joining her. He turned on his heel and jogged away, into the tunnels just as Elena touched ground.

"H...he...help!" Cassandra pleaded in an effort that she heard her. The brunette vampire turned and her mouth fell open at Cassandra's condition.

"Oh my God! Cassandra!" She immediately jumped in to help. Using her vampire strength, Elena was able to shimmy Cassandra off of the rock shard and get her onto solid ground, leaning her against the wall.

"Need...need blood," Cassandra panted and eyed the pulsing veins in Elena's neck. "Please, Elena...I need to feed."

"What you need is to rest, Cassandra." Elena told her in a tone that was much too calm for the situation at hand.

Cassandra's head spun violently, she'd pass out soon if she didn't get some blood in her. "I'm so hungry," she moaned.

"I can't have you get that cure. I need it." She spoke and Cassandra could barely hear her now.

"Don't be selfish about it, Elena." Cassandra growled weakly.

"I will always look out for myself." The hybrid knew that she'd heard those words before. This wasn't Elena.

"Katherine," she seethed.

A smirk spread across the vampire's lips. "Bingo. Now, I need you to stay here."

"Please, Katherine!" She coughed. "I'll do anything for that cure!"

"Anything?" Katherine quirked an eyebrow.

"Just get it for me. I'll beg Klaus to set you free, so you won't have to run anymore. I need that cure." Cassandra was grasping at straws now, but she would do nearly anything to ensure that the cure would be hers and no one else's.

Katherine seemed to give it a thought, but she knew that Klaus wouldn't let her get away with what she'd done to him no matter how many years had passed. "Hmm, it's a tempting offer, but no."

Tears streaked Cassandra's cheek, mixing with the blood and sweat. "No, Katherine! Please!"

"Sorry, Cassandra, but I need this cure now more than ever." Katherine took the sides of Cassandra's head in her hands. "So, I'll say the same thing I did the night I killed you in 1864." The vampire stared into Cassandra's brown eyes and she could still see a little piece of her on that night when she was killed. She was still that young girl, afraid to die.

"Goodbye Cassandra." She snapped her neck to the right and Cassandra's body went limp. She tossed her to the ground and turned hearing a certain brunette vampire shimmy down the cable.

Now the real fun began.

* * *

The raven haired vampire pulled the last piece of wood out of Rebekah's skin and she groaned out. Stefan and Elena had left them both in the upper chamber while they descended down to the lower one to look for the cure.

"You're alive," Rebekah murmured.

"Yeah." He flicked the piece of offending wood away, hearing it clink against the stone floor.

Rebekah peered over at him. "Why didn't you go with them?"

"Needed a siesta," he deadpanned.

"You gave up, didn't you?" She sighed deeply and prodded the healing marks in her skin.

Damon crawled on his stomach to the pole he was just tied up to and struggled to sit himself up against it. "I didn't give up. I just realized...you can't control everything, no matter how hard you try. Let's just say I made peace with that fact."

Rebekah slowly sat up too, "Peace? You love Cassandra. You always will. The cure would only serve one of you. You'd have to choose who got it. You know that you'd have to get it in order to start that family you've always wanted. Cassandra's werewolf side would do the rest. So, you'd be human and she'd be a hybrid. You'll never know peace."

"Life sucks. Get a helmet." He groaned.

The blonde Original let herself genuinely smile at him. "You do selfless things for her, Damon. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were becoming a halfway decent person." She told him and Damon didn't feel that way. In his mind, the cure was gone for good and all of their chances for having a family of their own vanished before his eyes.

* * *

****Hope you all enjoyed and please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and for the next one :)****

**grapejuice101: Thanks so much for reviewing :)**

**Tvdlover87654: Thanks for the review! I'm very happy that you like how I incorporated Giuliana into the plot. Yeah, Damon and Cassandra are in a little bit of a bad place now, but they always manage to work things out :)**

**Silently Tearful: Thank you very much for reviewing! Yeah, poor Damon and Cassandra :(**

**xoxobianca13: Thanks for reviewing, girly :D So happy that you enjoy this story along with my other ones!**

**21angle: I wish I knew why Katherine took the cure too, girl! Gaahh! I need answers! Silas does look a little bit like E.T. and I think he needs to "phone home" and leave! I totally agree that Shane needs to be killed off! Thanks so much for reviewing :)**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Hmm, a "Gibbs" slap? Don't know what that is, but Damon needs a smack regardless! If Damon and Cassandra were to have a kid, it would have to be gorgeous! I mean, look at his/her father ;) Thanks for the review!**

**shippolove844: Thanks so much for reviewing! I wish Cassandra was on the show too! Rebekah can have her moments, but I do miss Kol :-P.**

**Lycan Lover 411: Thanks for the review! Yep, lots of stuff going on here and most of it is because of Shady Shane!**

**Writers Block 420: Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, Damon can be a dick sometimes, but he does love Cassandra. She loves him too :)**

**Mia Salvatore: I agree! Poor Cassandra :( Damon doesn't want the cure because he can't see spending the rest of his life as a human. Damon also feels that it is "too good to be true." Thanks so much for reviewing!**


	19. Stand By Me

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 19: Stand By Me**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

********For those of you who are looking for an amazing TVD story to read - please check out my girl's story! Her name is ****lokicharm**** and the story is called "The Darkness Within." She is a fabulous writer, so please, go give read her story and give her some love! I promise that you won't be disappointed!****

****If you reviewed the last chapter - take a look at the bottom! I've replied to all of your amazing reviews :)****

* * *

A few light smacks to her cheeks brought Cassandra back to the world of the living. She groaned loudly, turning away from whoever or whatever was trying to rouse her.

"Hey! Come on! Wake up!" A voice called and Cassandra's eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the darkness around her.

"Stefan?" She peered up at the green eyed vampire before taking in her surroundings. "What...what happened?"

"We were hoping that you could tell us," he spoke as Damon appeared from the shadows.

Their eyes met for a moment, calmness washed over her before she was thrown headfirst into the panic of her memories that came back to her. "Vaughn ran off and I heard someone coming down the rope. I thought it was Elena. I called for help, but...it was Katherine."

"What'd she do?" Damon asked, trying to mask his growl.

"She told me she wanted the cure too and...and then she snapped my neck," she trailed off sadly and the brother's exchanged sullen glances.

"How'd this happen?" Damon spoke once he overcame his shock.

"Katherine must have been following us this whole time." His brother concluded.

"What about the cure, or Silas?" Cassandra cracked her neck to the side loudly.

Stefan grimaced, "If there was anything in there at all, it's all gone."

"Then where the hell is Bonnie?" The raven haired vampire asked.

"I have no idea. She went looking for Jeremy last night. She never came back. Elena is in there waiting for the Gilbert ring to bring Jeremy back to life." His brother told them and a look of confusion crossed Cassandra's features.

"Wait, come back to life? What happened?" She murmured.

The brother's expressions were a complete giveaway that something horrible had happened, but neither of them wanted to be the bearer of bad news.

"Jeremy's dead." Damon's blunt words sliced through the both of them and Cassandra couldn't find the words to say. "His neck was snapped."

"But, he's got his ring." The hybrid worked to get herself onto her feet and leaned against the rocky wall for support.

"Cassandra, listen to me. Jeremy was one of the Five, a hunter." Stefan told her.

The woman's eyes went wide in realization before they watered almost immediately after. "He's supernatural. The ring won't work anymore." The brother's nodded gravely. "Elena won't survive this."

"We need to get Elena off the island," Stefan stated.

"Fine," Cassandra limped as she tried to hobble along. "Damon and I will stay here and find Bonnie." As she took her first step and let go of the wall, her body nearly dropped like a sack of potatoes but Damon was there to catch her.

"No, Cassandra," Damon shook his head. "You need to go home. You're too weak to be out here."

"Says the vampire who was a hunter's plaything until I got there." She grumped and leaned her head lazily on Damon's shoulder. She was reeling from the news about Jeremy and the lack of blood didn't help it either. "I just need some blood."

"More like you need some blood transfusions." Her husband mumbled.

"Look, you guys can bicker all you want, but I've got to get Elena home and someone needs to make sure that Bonnie's okay." Stefan interrupted the two and they just nodded. This wasn't the time and place to argue.

* * *

"Ow," Cassandra groaned as she flicked a piece of rock from her chest. "I think my intestines are back in that cave." The pair had exited the cave and were down by a small creek. The clear, cool water rushed past them and Cassandra stripped off her shirt, dipping it into the creek. The blood immediately lifted from the fabric and was swept away.

"You should go home." Damon spoke up as he tossed her a blood bag from his pack.

"Give me a minute," she breathed as she yanked the top open and she suckled the blood from the opening. It was empty in record time and Cassandra could feel some of her strength returning. She tossed the empty piece of plastic onto the ground and eyed Damon. "I'm not going home."

"Cass, you're in no shape to be here." He told her and took off his own shirt to wash it.

"Like that's ever stopped me. Sure, I can't remember the last time I had a giant rock speared through my back, but I'm fine now." She gestured for another blood bag which he handed to her.

"And what happens when we run out of those?" He nodded his head to the packet she was sucking down. "Once we run out, we run out."

Cassandra took a few more quick swallows. "Then we'll do the Stefan diet."

"Why are you being so difficult?" His blue eyes flashed with anger.

"Me? What about you?" She narrowed her eyes. "You're practically itching to get me off this island."

"Because you should be back in Mystic Falls." He fought and wrung out his shirt.

"And you should be here, right? Alone and feeling sorry for yourself?" She growled and threw her sopping wet shirt at his face. "I thought we do things together, Damon. That's the way it's always been. Why should it be any different now?"

"Everything's changed now, Cassandra. We can't get the cure anymore. It's gone." Each words felt like a knife to his gut.

"So? Just because the cure is gone, does that mean we fall to pieces? Yeah, I'll admit, when I get back to Mystic Falls, I'll probably throw myself a pity party but what really matters is that I have you." She turned herself to face him and placed her hands on his which were more concentrated on washing the blood off his shirt. "I love you, Damon. Don't you realize that?" She told him. "I don't know how you can't see that when it's staring you right in the face."

"Don't know why you do." Damon grumbled under his breath.

"What?!" She hissed.

"I couldn't get you the cure, Cassandra. How do you think I feel when I can't provide for the woman I love?" He said.

"I can't believe that I'm having this conversation with you." She ran her hands through her hair and tugged a little at the roots.

"Believe it, honey." He told her and continued to wash his shirt.

"This is about asking you to take the cure with me, isn't it?" That made him stop his movements. "You think I'm mad at you for that?" Damon didn't answer her, instead, he wrung out his shirt again and rose to drape it over a tree branch to dry it out. "I'm sorry that I just assumed that you wanted to take the cure. I didn't realize being a vampire was so important to you." Cassandra spoke softly.

Damon shrugged. "I've been a vampire for one hundred and forty-five tears, Cassandra. I can't imagine all of the sudden being a human for the rest of my life."

"I know how you feel and I'm sorry you feel that way." She said.

"Then everything would really change. We'd be helpless against supernatural creatures and if we had a baby...I'd want to be able to protect them from any danger." He sighed and leaned back against a tree.

"Sure, that would all change, Damon, but we'd still have each other. You sometimes push me away and I don't want you to do that anymore. It breaks my heart when you do that." Her voice was much softer now. "What will it take for me to convince you that I love you? Do I have to swear by it? Do I have to get it written on my skin? Tell me, Damon. What do I need to do for you to realize that I love you and that I chose you?" She took his hands and squeezed them firmly. "Forever."

"I know that you love me, Cass." He looked down at their joined hands and rubbed his thumbs over the backs of them.

"No, I don't think you know how much. Damon, I'd be willing to go with you to the ends of the Earth. Look at all we've been through. We've survived everything that's been handed to us and we'll survive this. I'll make sure of it." She told him and leaned down to kiss his chest, just over his heart. "Just, please don't push me away anymore."

Damon's blue eyes were soft and the lines in his forehead diminished. He hated seeing her like this and more importantly, he hated doing this to her. He didn't want to push her away, but he didn't want to let her down or disappoint her. He did it as a way to keep himself out of harm's way, but in reality it was harming the both of them. After not getting an answer from him, Cassandra frowned and her eyes were downcast. Damon cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb over the soft skin. It rubbed under her bottom lip as their eyes met. The cool wind blew around them, licking at their hair and skin.

"I won't push you away anymore." Damon told her and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I just wanted to make you happy."

"You do make me happy, Damon. No matter what we have or don't have. I am happy." She whispered softly and kissed him once more.

* * *

It made sense for Damon and Cassandra to head back to the campsite to look for any clues as to where Bonnie could have gone. Perhaps if one of them could pick up her scent, they know where she'd been and where she'd run off too. The campsite was desolate, not a face in sight and Damon lifted up the flap of a tent to see that it had been abandoned. Having a werewolf nose did help Cassandra in the sense that she could smell that Bonnie had been through the campsite, but her scent was faded.

A rustling in the trees nearby caused them to stop in their tracks. Their bodies tensed up and they were on full alert if an attacker was on their trail. Veins spread beneath Damon's eyes and his normally aquatic blue gaze was clouded in crimson.

"Unless you're a blonde, a Bennett witch, or a doppelganger, I suggest you steer clear." He called out into the woods but he received no answer. The couple approached the shack that Shane had used and lightly pushed open the door. Cassandra peered inside and sighed to discover that it was empty.

"Where is it?" Rebekah's nagging voice snapped in her ear, effectively startling the both of them. "The cure? I know someone has it."

"Yeah, someone. Katherine." Cassandra spat.

Rebekah's eyebrows furrowed. "Katherine? The doppelganger?"

"Yeah. Sneaky little bitch must've been spying on us for weeks." Damon replied.

"She killed Jeremy...or somebody did." The hybrid spoke and Rebekah's face went somber. "What's with the face? He killed your brother. Let's not with the fake sad face."

"I didn't say I was going to miss him, but I'm not heartless. He was Elena's only family." The blonde spoke sadly.

"Good. Well, you can send flowers after you help us find Bonnie." Damon sidestepped the Original and Cassandra followed.

"We need to find Katherine." Rebekah fought.

"Katherine is gone, Rebekah. We need to find Bonnie." Cassandra told her.

"Oh, and beware of the immortal Silas. If he was asleep in that cave, he's awake now." The raven haired vampire continued on his way, lacing his hand with Cassandra's.

* * *

They seemed to be walking for hours with no sign of Bonnie at all. Their search was pretty much hopeless and they were quickly burning daylight.

"Do you think Bonnie is dead?" Rebekah asked them as they trekked through the woods.

"Never thought I'd say this, but I hope not." Damon sighed.

Rebekah's nervous blue eyes flicked around the forest. "I don't like being out in the open like this."

Damon snickered, "What, afraid of the big, bad Silas?"

"No," the blonde snapped.

"Scaredy cat." He sang and Cassandra smirked

"I'm not a scaredy cat!" Rebekah whined. "My brother Kol drove himself mad worrying about Silas rising. It would benefit us all to be a bit concerned."

"I'm with Rebekah on this one." Cassandra sighed as she stepped over some dry dead leaves. "I mean, this guy doesn't sound like he's a joke."

"So, then let's find Bonnie and get out of here." Damon said. They continued to walk and Cassandra could pick up another set of footsteps in the woods. Peering across the lake, her eyes caught sight of Vaughn who was aiming a bow and arrow right at her. Just as he released the arrow, Damon was standing protectively in front of her while holding Rebekah as a shield to block Vaughn's shot. The arrow pierced the Original's back and she wore a pained expression on her lips.

"Ow." She groaned

"Sorry. Better you than her." Damon tossed Rebekah to the ground and he caught another one of Vaughn's arrows as it flew from the crossbow. The vampire growled and threw the arrow to the ground before both he and Cassandra flashed out of sight.

* * *

Vaughn put down his bow, grabbed his bag, and ran from the clearing knowing that the pair would be out for blood. Damon caught up with the hunter easily and shoved him to the ground. Vaughn pulled a dagger from his waist, ready to stab the vampire but his movements were halted when the leather of a boot was crushing his wrist. Cassandra stepped down harder and Vaughn continued to struggle against her with no avail.

"Hmm, just the guy we wanted to see. Not really." Damon snickered and Cassandra delivered a hard kick to the side of Vaughn's head.

"Lights out for you."

Vaughn wriggled around in his tight bounds as he stared up at Cassandra and Damon. The raven haired vampire pressed the sharp tip of a dagger into the hunter's throat as blood dribbled from the wound, staining his skin.

"Here's the thing. I was completely willing to accept the fact that you were one man on a lonely mission to kill ol' Silas. And then I got boned by my vixen nemesis, Miss Katherine Pierce." Damon jabbed the knife further into Vaughn's neck, making the hunter groan out. "Then I start thinking there's no way that this is a coincidence."

"So, here's how this is going to go." Cassandra crouched down before the wounded hunter. "You're going to tell us everything we need to know. Got it, Lucky the Leprechaun?"

Rebekah then hobbled over to them, tossing the discarded arrow to the floor.

"Took you long enough." Damon snickered.

"Sorry. I had to dig the arrow out of my spine. Thank you for that." She chided.

"Well, if you want a lead on Katherine Pierce, here's your guy." He twisted the point of the dagger in Vaughn's neck roughly.

"Torture me all you want." Vaughn grinned. "You can't kill me. The hunter's curse will torment you forever."

Cassandra smirked, "It'll be worth it."

"He's right. You can't kill him, but that doesn't mean we can't tear him apart piece by piece, nerve by nerve until the pain is so severe, that your brain shuts it off to give you one tiny moment of blessed relief. And then we'll heal you and do it again and again and again." Rebekah described her gruesome idea of torture and both husband and wife peer over at her.

"You are creepy." Damon spoke.

"I'll say," Cassandra added.

The blonde beamed from ear to ear. "Thank you."

Cassandra placed her hand over one of Damon's which was gripping the dagger. She dragged the blade down Vaughn's neck, splitting open more skin inch by inch. Vaughn squirmed around uncomfortably, eager to move as far away from his own dagger as possible.

"Ah! Alright! I was tracking dens of vampires across Colorado." The hunter started. "Katherine found me, said she could help me find Silas. She already knew about the hunter's mark, the cure."

Rebekah raised a curious eyebrow. "How?"

"She had someone on the inside, some werewolf girl, friends with your professor."

Damon and Cassandra both exchanged a look. "Hayley, Tyler Lockwood's old friend. Ah, I knew she was shady." The vampire groaned.

"Where'd Katherine find her?" Cassandra asked.

"New Orleans. That's all I know." Vaughn told them.

Damon motioned for Cassandra to remove the dagger and she did so. He gently took it from her and handed it to Rebekah. "Have at him, blondie." Cassandra gestured for Damon to walk with her, so they were out of range of Rebekah's vampire hearing.

"He knows more than he's letting on." She told him in a hushed whisper.

Damon let out a huff. "You think I don't know that? And we still need to find Bonnie."

"Why don't you look for Bonnie while Rebekah and I smoke him out?" She suggested. "That way we're killing two birds with one stone."

"I'm not leaving you alone with Vaughn and Rebekah." He grumbled.

"You have to bring Bonnie home, Damon. Elena needs her." Damon took in a breath to argue, but she motioned for him to be quiet. She peeled back the right side of her jacket to reveal that the white oak stake was tucked inside it.

"I'll be fine." Cassandra nodded and took his hands. She squeezed them comfortingly as if to fill Damon with confidence that she could hold her own. "I mean, who knows? Rebekah and I might get the answers we need before you find Bonnie." He gave her a half-smile and squeezed her hands firmly.

"Meet you back home?"

Cassandra smiled and gave him a gentle kiss. "I promise." They both returned back to where Vaughn was still being tortured by Rebekah.

"He swears that he told us everything." The blonde spoke.

"Good. Let's throw him in the well. If he starves to death, it's not our fault. I'm gonna go find Bonnie. You two stay here and take care of him." Damon instructed as he stalked off into the woods.

The hybrid then took the knife and made a long languorous lick up the blade. Vaughn's blood burst all over her tongue and her fangs dropped. Her eyes were filled with crimson as she cast a look to the wounded hunter. She ran her tongue over the sharp canines and smirked evilly.

"Now we're gonna have some fun."

* * *

Cassandra threw Vaughn to the ground with a rough shove and a growl. Rebekah dropped his backpack by her side, making sure it was out of Vaughn's reach. This would be the hunter's home for a while until he died from the blood loss.

"Alright, so let's get started on that whole ripping him apart piece by piece thing." Cassandra's eyes glinted dangerously at him. "It'll be the most fun I've had on this island so far."

"No." The blonde shook her head. "We did what we had to do. So, let's get out of here." Both girls turned on their heels to leave, but Vaughn's wavering voice stopped them.

"You know, if you're smart, you'll use the cure to kill Silas." He told them.

"Hmm, thanks, but no thanks." Cassandra replied smartly.

"Killing Silas is your supernatural destiny, not mine." Rebekah added.

"Well, you be careful up there, you know, 'cause he's up there, running about." Vaughn spoke and Rebekah looked over her shoulder.

"You sure about that?" She gritted.

"You don't believe me? Check my pack." The hunter nodded to his pack which was right by Cassandra's feet. The hybrid bent down and searched through it until her hands enclosed something cool and rough. She withdrew something that looked like a mask one would wear to cover one's face completely.

"I found it in the chamber where he lay." Vaughn said. "They say no one has seen him. No one knows his face. How do you hide from the devil when you don't know what he looks like? Who knows? Maybe I'm him." Cassandra examined the mask in her hands while Rebekah swallowed nervously. "Mark my words, if you don't use the cure to kill him, doesn't matter if you're human or vampire. You're doomed. We all are."

After a few beats of silence, Cassandra's eyes flicked back and forth between the mask and the hunter. It made more sense now. Silas was really running about and no one could be able to identify him. He could be anyone. The female hybrid flung the mask to the ground and grabbed Rebekah's upper arm, speeding from the cave.

"Good luck to ya, lassies! You've all brought this upon yourselves! May you rot in it!" The hunter called after them.

* * *

As they emerged from inside the well, darkness bathed the island. Night was all around them. The sights, the sounds, the smells. Cassandra fished a flashlight from inside her jacket, making sure to keep the white oak stake hidden and she clicked it on.

"Man, I can't wait to get home and take a much needed shower." She huffed and followed the beam of light.

"You can say that again. Excursions are not my thing." Rebekah agreed. "Especially ones where I haven't showered for three days and I've been in the same pair of clothes that I arrived in."

"I think we're lost." Cassandra stated as she shined her flashlight onto the ground. "Yep. I've seen that rock before."

"Look, let's just get off this godforsaken island and get home." The blonde grumbled. A sudden crack from within the woods startled them. Rebekah jumped towards Cassandra, hitting into her and nearly knocking her to the ground.

"Jeez! Relax!" The hybrid told her.

"What was that?" Her voice wavered.

"It was probably a little bunny or something." She spoke. The sound went off again, but it was closer this time. Now Cassandra was getting even more worried than she was letting on. The hooting of an owl and the chirping of crickets echoed in the darkness. "Why do I feel like I'm in a horror movie?"

"I've never seen one..." Rebekah trailed off. "What happens in them?"

"Well, it starts off with two girls...normally two hot girls, walking through the woods on a cold night." Cassandra started. "All they have is a flashlight and each other."

"And then?" The blonde's voice wavered.

"They hear a noise that scares them, but they chock it up to their imaginations. They keep walking when the noise happens again. Now they're scared and alone." She swallowed when she saw her flashlight dimming slightly.

"Oh no," Rebekah whined and yanked the flashlight from Cassandra. She shook it around and it flickered, brightening for a moment before dimming again.

"Hang on, I might have some extra batteries." Cassandra fished through her pockets while Rebekah stood guard. The beam of light picked up some movement from a bush not far from them. She settled the light on it and watched the bush intensely, waiting to see if it was her imagination. One, two, three beats of silence and Rebekah let out a sigh, however her relief was short-lived when the bush rustled.

"Cassandra..." She warned.

"Give me a minute." The hybrid waved her off. The branches on the bush shook, the dry leave scraping against one another.

"I think there's something-" Rebekah then let out a scream when something jumped out of the brush. Cassandra leapt up, her eyes locking on their target but she rolled her eyes when she saw what had jumped out.

"Told you it was a bunny." Cassandra growled under her breath as a small, round, fuzzy bunny hopped toward the girls. Rebekah's hands shook as she clamped a hand over her hammering heart. The rabbit's paw reached around its head to clean at his ear when he caught sight of the blonde vampire. The two were locked in a staring contest when a tap on Rebekah's shoulder made her jump again.

"Will you relax? My God! You're older than I am and you're fussing over Peter Rabbit." Cassandra handed her the new batteries.

Rebekah snatched them up and screwed off the bottom of the flashlight. "It scared me."

"Yeah, and he can probably smell fear." She scoffed and tossed away the old batteries. Rebekah popped the new ones in the flashlight and flicked on the switch. She felt much more at peace that the light was brighter. "Now, let's get out of here."

The girls walked for another half a mile until they heard the relaxing sounds of the waves rushing against the sand. They weren't far from the coast. From what they could see in the distance, one boat was left and Cassandra gathered that Damon must have taken the other boat with Bonnie. The hybrid kept walking, each step drew her closer to getting back home when she realized a certain blonde vampire wasn't keeping up with her.

"Cassandra," Rebekah called.

"Ugh, what now?" She threw her hands up and turned to face Rebekah. Her face was drenched in horror and her blue eyes were fixed on something that the flashlight was illuminating. Cassandra's gaze followed it to see a still body on the floor. The girls exchanged glances before Cassandra nudged the body with her foot. It was Professor Shane.

"Damn," Cassandra groaned. "Now I won't have the pleasure of killing him myself." Rebekah's flashlight zeroed in on the blood that stained his pants and neither of them could find any signs of life. The hybrid stepped over Shane's lifeless body, determined to keep going, but a hand wrapped itself around her ankle. Rebekah shrieked loudly and Cassandra had lost her voice as she stared down at Shane who was very much alive.

"Silas." He spoke in a low whisper and yanked at Cassandra's ankle. She flung it out, smashed the professor in the face and scrambled away.

"Screw this! I'm not staying here anymore!" She proclaimed as she ran alongside Rebekah. The shoreline was just within their reach when they heard other screaming voices in the trees. Casting an upward glance, they could spy some natives hanging from branches armed with their bows and arrows.

"Split up," Rebekah hushed and the two girls broke away from one another, shooting off in different directions. Cassandra bolted for the shoreline and she could sense that her attackers weren't far behind her. Once she reached the water's edge, she jumped into the freezing cold water and paddled herself as quickly as she could. Vampires hated water and just because they were supernatural didn't mean that they moved faster when submerged. Her muffled hearing could pick up the whistling of arrows flying through the air and plunking into the water. A few of the arrow heads skimmed her skin but she didn't let that stop her. She had a long way to swim and the icy water was beginning to numb her from head to toe.

* * *

Damon sent yet another message to Cassandra's phone before tossing it onto the bed. He had found Bonnie and taken her back to Mystic Falls successfully but he hadn't heard word from Cassandra. That worried him. He knew that there was barely anyservice on the island and that only made his nerves escalate. The events of this evening weren't helping him either. Bonnie explained the entire ride home about a plan to drop the veil that separates this side from the Other side. This veil could only be dropped if a third and final sacrifice was made. The first was consisted of the twelve people that died in the Young farm explosion and the second was when Klaus killed his twelve hybrids, so a third sacrifice was still needed to complete the Expression triangle. Once the veil is dropped, the Other side will become non-existent and every single supernatural creature will be brought back to life. Bonnie kept saying that she had to complete the triangle for Silas and that Silas needed her to do this.

When the witch shared this revelation with everyone, naturally they were all against it. It was too dangerous and it required the slaughter of innocent people to complete the final sacrifice. No one was for dropping the veil, but Bonnie was still so gung-ho on the idea. Damon suspected that Shane had brainwashed her but he was nowhere to be found. He wasn't on the island and Bonnie hadn't mentioned him.

Later on that night, Elena finally came to terms with the fact that Jeremy was dead for real and she sure as hell wasn't quiet about it. She threw tantrums, screamed at the top of her lungs, launched objects through the air and finally collapsed onto her knees and sobbed hopelessly. Seeing her way made Damon think back to when Vanessa had died. Cassandra was the same way. She was absolutely inconsolable and unable to control. She cried, she screamed, she swore and cursed before melting into a puddle of her own hysterics. Damon felt sympathy for Elena because he knew if Stefan was to be taken away from him, he wouldn't deal with it well. Even when Cassandra died, Damon was not himself and wasn't sure if he would ever be his true self again.

The vampire's ears suddenly perked up at the sound of the floor boards in his room creaking. His blue eyes darted around the room, searching for anything out of the ordinary when he found it. His bay window was blown open, the curtains floating in the wind. He rose from the bed and pushed the window closed, latching the lock. A tickle on the back of his neck made him spin around and propel whatever was behind him into the opposite wall.

"Hey honey! It's nice to see you too!" Cassandra smirked widely ad her damp hair clung to her face. Her clothes were still wet from taking a dip and she desperately needed to get out of them.

Damon's hard look softened significantly and he let her down from the wall. His arms enveloped her and he hugged her tightly to him. "Don't scare me like that again." She soaked up his warmth, a soft purr leaving her lips.

"I like this greeting much better." She hummed and pulled back slightly. "You sure do know how to give someone a proper welcome. And furthermore-" Her speech was then muffled as Damon's lips pressed against hers. His hands gripped the backs of her thighs, hoisting her up and flashing them to sit her on the bathroom counter. "Damon, wait,"

"Can you give me five minutes to appreciate the fact that you're alive?" He furrowed his eyebrows at her and continued to press kisses along her neck.

"Oh, oh okay. Fine, you get five minutes." She sighed as he flattened his tongue against her cold skin. Damon's arms wrapped around her waist as his teeth nipped at her shoulder. She shivered against him, partly because she was freezing and also because Damon was the only man who could reduce her to this. She threaded her fingers through his hair, but they were so numb that she couldn't feel the soft fibers as she combed through them.

"Damon, five...five minutes are up." Her teeth chattered and he begrudgingly pulled away. "What happened at Elena's house? I show up there and it's burned to the ground."

The raven haired vampire ran a hand through his hair and shifted awkwardly. "Elena flew the coop. She lost it."

"I figured she would." Cassandra frowned.

"She burned down the house with Jeremy in it." He told her.

Cassandra's eyes were wide with complete and utter shock. "Oh my God..."

"And what's worse is that Stefan told her to turn her switch off." Damon added.

"He what?" Cassandra shrieked and Damon covered her mouth.

"Shh! He couldn't handle seeing Elena so hysterical, so he told her to turn her feelings off and everything would be okay." He explained and she shook her head, muffling a reply. The vampire uncovered her mouth, allowing her to speak, but he pressed a finger to his own lips to signal to her to keep quiet.

"This is a disaster." She hushed angrily. "Has Stefan lost his mind?"

"Apparently," he sighed and finally noticed her wet clothes. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Rebekah and I were on the island when some natives attacked us. We split up and I swam here." She recanted and shook some of the water out of her ears.

"Let's get you changed and warmed up." Damon turned the faucet on his large bathtub and helped Cassandra peel off her clothes.

* * *

When Cassandra sank into the hot water, her muscles relaxed and her body rested back against Damon's. Their legs intertwined underneath the water and they were situated back to chest. His lips were nibbling at her ear while he passed a soapy washcloth over her shoulders. The dirt and murky remains of the water she was swimming in swirled around in the tub, but Cassandra was much happier to be at home and to be clean.

"Have you heard from Rebekah?" He asked her.

Cassandra shrugged her shoulders, the suds dripping down her arms and into the bath water. "Nope. Let's just hope that she made it out okay."

"Well, if she didn't make it, then there's one more person who's not looking for the cure." He told her. "It's better for us. Less competition."

"Huh?" She turned over her shoulder and furrowed her eyebrows. "I thought you..."

"Listen, Cass. I know that you want the cure and if you want it. I'm going to get it for you." Damon tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Cassandra turned herself in his lap to face him completely.

"Damon," she started but he tapped his index finger against her lips.

"If it will make you happy, I'll do anything." The vampire ran his fingertips over her collarbone. "I don't want to push you away anymore, Cassandra. I love you so much."

"I love you more." She beamed as her eyes welled with tears of joy. "Let's not fight about stuff like this anymore. Promise?" Cassandra lifted up her pinky and Damon's nose wrinkled at it. He was a vampire. Vampires didn't pinky swear. "Come on, make your wife happy." Damon smirked and wrapped his pinky around hers, bringing the back of her hand to his lips. "Thank you."

The vampire pulled her closer and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Now that that's done. Shall we seal the deal?"

Cassandra purred as she ground her hips against his. "I can think of a way that is much better than a pinky swear."

* * *

**Tvdlover87654: Thank you so so much for reviewing! I agree, the scene with Cass and Kat was very heart breaking and hard to write :'(. Cassandra really would do anything for the cure!**

**grapejuice101: Gaahh! Hope you didn't cry too much while reading this! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Silently Tearful: Thank you for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and I hope it gave you some faith about Damon and Cassandra's relationship :)**

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**ADORATIO: Thanks for the review! Damon has a very hard time realizing that with Cassandra, he is and always will be her first choice. It is very sad that he has a difficult time seeing that Cassandra really truly loves him.**

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**TruffleWomenz: Poor Cassandra is right! She is taking quite the beating lately :( Thank you for reviewing!**

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	20. Bring It On

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 20: Bring It On**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

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* * *

"I'm still asking myself why the hell you did this," Cassandra stated as she snatched up a tumbler of bourbon that Damon had poured her. "Whatever made you think that this was a good idea?"

"I couldn't stand seeing her in that much pain," Stefan defended. It had been a rough couple of days for the three of them to control the new Elena. "The grief was crippling her."

"But now she's completely numb, Stefan." She told him and took a long sip. "And she's not going to turn her emotions back on unless there is a reason."

"Then, we'll have to give her a reason." The green eyed vampire argued and Cassandra rolled her eyes.

Damon pinched the bridge of his nose, he'd much rather be doing anything else than listening to his wife and brother argue. "You two need to relax. We should just show Elena a good time."

"Show her a good time? Damon, she's out of control! You saw her last night." She spoke.

_"I said, that's enough." Cassandra yanked Elena back from her meal roughly. "We agreed to take you out hunting if you agreed to no killing."_

_Elena's lips were stained with ruby red blood and she teasingly licked it off. "This is the first person I've seen in days whose body isn't laced with vervain and I'm hungry."_

_"If you leave a trail of bodies, people are gonna start asking questions." Damon chimed in._

_"I don't care." The young vampire growled and started to feed on the woman again._

_Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest and looked to Damon. She wasn't liking this new Elena at all. "I tried. Your turn."_

_"I can't believe you're making me say this. Hey," The raven haired vampire took Elena by the arm and pulled her away from the woman she was feeding on. "Show a little restraint." He growled dangerously._

_Elena still managed to hold onto her victim and narrowed her eyes at her friends. "I thought this was supposed to be fun. If I wanted to be bored while hunting, I would have taken Stefan." With that, she tossed the woman's body to the ground and stalked away like the queen bitch she was._

"Let's just cross the fun idea off the list." The hybrid shook her head.

"Look, why are you so against her humanity being off for just a little but?" Stefan asked her and she visibly tensed. "I mean, if it will help her deal with the grief then-"

"Sure, Stefan, it might help for a little bit, but then she'll get too comfortable not feeling anything." Cassandra spoke and clenched her fists. "Do you remember how you were when Klaus compelled you to turn off your switch? You were downright unbearable to deal with. You had no regard for any kind of life and if there was ever I time I wanted to kill you-"

Stefan held up a hand, waving her off. "Alright, we get it. I was a cocky ripper douche."

"At least now he admits it." Damon murmured.

The brothers narrowed their eyes at one another. "Point taken, Damon, but let's just give her a couple of days." Stefan said and Cassandra stalked out of the room, unable to handle talk of Elena's humanity. "What's with her?" He raised an eyebrow and Damon just looked longingly after Cassandra.

* * *

Klaus Mikaelson angrily tossed his paintbrush aside hearing someone banging on the other side of the large French doors. He just hated whenever anyone disturbed his alone time. At first, he ignored the knocking but it quickly became so irritating that he had to answer the door. He narrowed his eyes at the brunette that was standing there.

"Well, I thought you were dead." He smirked evilly.

Giuliana shoved him aside and entered his home. "Ha! You wish!" She made her way into the parlor and he followed her. "The last thing I remember was bleeding out in the Gilbert house, but then I wake up two days later in a charming little bed and breakfast just out of town."

"It wasn't me." Klaus shrugged. "I wanted you dead after what you did to me."

"So, it wasn't you?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Klaus!" A feminine voice called, followed by a set of footsteps. "Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving..." Hayley was now standing in the door way. The two immediately recognized each other from the Winter Festival. Four green eyes glared dangerously before the werewolf jumped at Giuliana. In seconds, Klaus gripped the young wolf and hoisted her away by the scruff of her neck.

"I don't think so, darling," he tsked.

"You said you'd protect me!" Hayley kicked and wiggled around in Klaus's hold.

"She's not here to hurt you." Klaus roughly shoved her.

"At least not yet," Giuliana muttered and the two women eyed each other cautiously.

Hayley fixed her clothes and growled low in her chest. "If you so much as look at me the wrong way-"

"Bring it on, bitch!" The ex-hunter hissed and Klaus quickly found himself in between the two women.

"Enough! The both of you!" He snarled, making sure to keep the both of them away from one another.

"Just keep her away from me," Hayley spoke.

"Fine by me. I wouldn't want to smell like dog anyways." Giuliana quipped and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Ladies," The Original hybrid cooed. "Let's not tear each other's throats out just yet. How about we sit and get you both fed?" The girls both exchanged glances with one another before moving to the dining room. Neither of them trusted the other, but there was going to be dinner involved and they wouldn't pass up the chance for a hot meal. Klaus let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He would have a long night ahead of him.

* * *

Steaming hot water pulsated from the shower head and rained down among the panting couple. They were a tangle of hot and wet limbs as they rocked against one another, eager to meet their completion. Cassandra's right leg was propped up straight, resting on Damon's shoulder while the other leg anchored her to the ground. Damon's hips ground into hers, his cock brushing her sweet spot and his pubic bone rubbing her swollen clit. His teeth caught her bottom lip and yanked it somewhat roughly through his fangs. Two small cuts opened up and Damon took the chance to dabble in tasting his wife's sweet nectar. Cassandra writhed against him, her orgasm just out of reach, so she palmed her heavy breasts in her hands. Her thumbs caressed her peaks before flicking them, the little bite of pain made her lower lips clench around Damon's cock as he continued his sensual pace. Her head fell back, disconnecting their lips and Damon worked sloppy kisses along her jaw line and down to her neck. She angled her head in submission, offering herself to her husband and his tongue slid up and down the column of her neck. A hand tunneled in her locks and he fisted them firmly, breathing hotly against her wet skin. Damon's other hand gripped at Cassandra's thigh that wasn't propped up against him and motioned for her to lift her leg. Using her strength and balance, she held onto Damon's shoulders and jumped up. He caught her ankle and straightened it against his strong shoulder, so now her legs were straight and spread open in a V-shape. She groped at him to keep her balance, but Damon kept her sandwiched in between him and the cool shower wall.

The vampire went back to laving her neck and he felt her blood rushing through her veins against his lips. His tongue drew patterns, tracing the pulsing veins before settling on a spot at the base of her neck. Cassandra trembled in his hold and her feet pointed perfectly in anticipation of his bite. Sharp fangs prodded the skin, pressing here and there as if to test it and partly to tease her. A whimper in the back of her throat made Damon smirk against her neck and without further ado, he bit into her neck. Her eyes fell closed and her mouth hung open as Damon then quickened his previously slow pace to quick piercing pumps using his vampire speed. The couple shook and bounced against one another and the shower wall while Damon fed hungrily from his wife's neck. Bright colors burst behind Cassandra's eyes as she let out a long, loud wail, her orgasm cresting and she clung to him. Her juices squirted from her lips, coating his cock and the shower wall behind him as Damon's body then locked up. He moaned against her neck, still drinking in large gulps as his cock exploded and filled her womb with his hot come. Cassandra whimpered, biting her bottom lip as his essence spilled inside her and dribbled over her quivering lips. She loved it when he came inside her, it filled her with such warmth and she enjoyed the sensation of his cock twitching and jerking in the grips of her lower lips.

Bleary eyes blinked open as Cassandra basked in the afterglow of her orgasmic high and Damon stopped his drinking. She let her legs go limp, bending them at the knee, so they hung lazily over Damon's shoulders. He swept his tongue over the healing skin and nuzzled his nose there.

"Oh God," she breathed tiredly.

"Never knew it was that fun to break in a water filter, hmm?" Damon murmured softly in her ear.

"It was even more fun watching." A new voice in the bathroom made Cassandra's eyes focus and she grimaced in absolute horror that Elena was on the other side of the glass. "You're pretty flexible, Cassandra. Where you a cheerleader back in the day?"

"Jesus, Elena!" Cassandra immediately scrambled from Damon's grip, setting her wobbling legs onto the floor. "How long have you been standing there?"

Elena smirked, that was something Cassandra had never seen before. "Long enough to find out what Damon does to make your eyes roll back in your head." Her brown eyes flicked over to Damon now. "Now I know why Stefan always complained that he couldn't get any sleep."

Damon yanked two towels from outside the stall, wrapping one around Cassandra and one around his waist. "Scram," he ordered gruffly.

"Sure thing. After watching you two go at it like animals, I'll need a cold shower." The baby vampire remarked while Damon and Cassandra growled at the fact that every vampire they knew was using their shower. The Mayor came up with the oh-sobrilliant idea to dump vervain into the town's water supply. They tracked water into Damon's room where Caroline and Stefan were talking.

"Cute bathrobe, Care." The hybrid beamed while grabbing her own black satin robe off the bed. In a flash, she dropped the towel and secured the robe around her body.

"Thanks!" The blonde grinned and tightened the sash of her bubble gum pink fuzzy robe.

"By the way, Stefan, your girlfriend is unbearable." Cassandra stated as she passed the plush towel through her damp curls.

"Well, I thought of a way to fix that." Stefan announced proudly. "I'm going to take Elena back to school."

"So, that's the plan?" Damon asked as he got dressed.

"Look, do you think I want to go to school and play chaperone? You two can't go because you're not students." The vampire nodded to the pair.

"Well, Cassandra's short enough to fit in with a bunch of high schoolers." Damon quipped and Cassandra's sopping towel was thrown at him from across the room.

"Jerk," she muttered and plopped down on the bed while Damon continued to snicker.

"Besides, you've got to go look for Katherine. I mean, Elena needs this cure now more than ever." Stefan said.

"Please, as if Elena wants the cure now." Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Not that anyone asked me, but I think taking her back to school is a great idea." The blonde smiled brightly.

"Why are you here?" Damon raised his eyebrows.

"Uh, blame it on your fancy water filters. Your house has the only vervain-free showers in town."

"Oh, yeah. The mayor put vervain in the water supply." Damon clicked his tongue. "So many people to kill."

Caroline frowned. "Yeah, my mom says it's about to get worse, so she could use a little help."

"Fine, we'll go after the psychotic doppelganger." Cassandra looked to the younger Salvatore. "Stefan, you wanna go talk to the Sheriff?"

"Blondie, take Elena to school." Damon added and Caroline smiled.

"Sounds like fun," Elena mused as she sauntered into the room. She was dripping wet and naked from her shower. Stefan was openly staring at her while Caroline averted her eyes and shuffled her feet awkwardly. Damon and Cassandra were not amused.

"Do you mind? You're going to ruin the wood." Cassandra grumbled and handed Elena a towel.

Elena simply rolled her eyes and wrapped the towel around her body. "As for the, uh, "going to school" idea...I've got nothing better to do."

"Good," Cassandra tried to smile at the vampire even though she caught her spying on her escapades with Damon earlier in the morning. "Now, please, don't eat anyone."

Elena looked back at her with a blank stare and simply nodded her head. "Okay."

* * *

A long frown pulled at Klaus's lips as he opened the front door to reveal Damon and Cassandra standing there. The raven haired vampire side stepped the hybrid, pulling his wife along with him.

"Ah, what an unpleasant surprise." Klaus grimaced.

"So, I just came up with a list," Damon proclaimed as he stood in the parlor. Klaus shut the door with a low grumble and followed Damon into the room.

"Hey! I helped with that list. I even came up with the title." Cassandra smirked. "It's called "Things You Suck At"."

Damon cleared his throat. "Number one: Finding Katherine. Ever. Number two: Covering up your secret phone conversations with that little backstabber Hayley." He waved a set of phone transcripts around and placed them down on the end table.

"So, where is she? What does she know about Katherine?" Cassandra asked.

"I should help you?" Klaus eyed the pair warily.

"Mhm." Damon nodded.

"After you lot killed my brother and imprisoned me in the Gilbert living room?" Klaus growled.

"You might want to prioritize, Klaus. You have much bigger problems." Cassandra told him and Klaus gave the two of them a blank look. "Katherine has the cure. My guess is she's gonna want to cram it down your throat." Klaus looked less than pleased that Katherine had managed to get away with the cure. She always seemed to be meddling with his plans.

"Here's the deal, you help us find Katherine, we'll get the cure, we'll give it to whoever wants it, everybody wins. Just let me question Hayley about Katherine." Damon told him nonchalantly.

Klaus sauntered to the pair, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't help you, mate. Hayley's off limits." He plopped down on the couch and grinned like a cat that ate the canary. "Although, I did have a run in with a vampire who may know where Katerina is. Too bad for you, I bit halfway through his bloody neck. He probably won't have much time for chit-chat."

* * *

"What do you mean she fed?!" Cassandra shrieked into the speaker of her phone. She and Damon had followed Klaus's instructions to where he bit that vampire the previous night. They needed to find him fast if they wanted information out of him.

_"She picked off a cheerleader from the opposing squad."_ Stefan reiterated. _"She even took her ribbon."_

"That's some serial killer shit." She managed to keep up with Damon as they reached the truck stop where Klaus had directed them to. "So, what's the plan for Elena now?"

Stefan sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. _"I don't know, but more importantly, where are you and Damon right now?"_

"We're at a truck stop in the boonies looking for a dead vampire that might lead to Katherine and the cure." The sound of a revving engine caught their attention and Damon motioned for Cassandra to end her conversation with Stefan. "Look, just get Elena home, we'll be there when we can." She hung up and they followed the sound in between two large trucks. Cassandra spotted a few dribbles of dried blood on the cement and crouched down to them.

"Anything interesting?" Damon watched her swipe her tongue across her finger and dab up some blood. She sniffed it before tapping her tongue against her finger, testing it.

"He was here a couple hours ago. My guess is early yesterday morning when it was still dark. If this guy wanted Hayley dead, then he would have been smart about it." She told him and flared her nostrils. "His scent had faded too. He must have left immediately after Klaus bit him."

"Great," Damon groaned. "Back to square one."

Cassandra rose to her feet and searched around the area. "Don't worry. He couldn't have gone far. When you're infected and that sick, all you want is a hot meal." They continued their search, scanning the truck stop for any other clues when Damon came face to face with someone he didn't expect.

"Oh, hey, blondie. I thought you were still vacationing on Numbskull Island." He snickered to Rebekah who just frowned.

"Well, I was looking for answers and all I found was your Professor Shane, dead, and with him, anything anyone knows about the cure." She spoke

"Guess you won't turn into a real girl after all." He smirked.

"Oh, I'll get the cure. I just need Katherine, and I'm betting you two can help me find her." Rebekah said.

"Why would we help you?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

Rebekah fished a vial of blood from her pocket and waved it around. "Because I was smart enough to bring a pinch of my brother's blood. How else would you interrogate a vampire who's practically dead from a wolf bite?"

"I've gotta say, it's a little creepy that you're just carrying around a vial of Klaus's blood, but to each his own." Cassandra shrugged before swiping the vial from Rebekah's hand and smashing it to the ground. The blood spattered everywhere along the road and in a fit of rage, Rebekah slammed Cassandra's body up against the side of a truck.

"Are you bloody mad?" She hissed, but her eyes went wide when she felt something prodding her chest. The Original peered down to see Cassandra pressing a white oak stake right where her heart was.

"Looks like you'll have to follow us if you want any answers." Cassandra smirked and pushed it harder into Rebekah. The blonde immediately backed off, holding her hands up in surrender. The hybrid pocketed the stake and nodded to Damon.

"Follow me. I might know where to look."

* * *

Only the sounds of utensils scraping against plates could be heard as Giuliana, Hayley and Klaus ate. The two women barely looked at one another, each was much more concentrated on pushing the food around on their plates. Klaus had given them rooms, on separate sides of the mansion might he add, to shower and change in before dinner. Giuliana sipped from her wine glass in a very lady-like fashion while Hayley slurped noisily from her tumbler of scotch. There really couldn't have been any other women who were such opposites, but here they were, sitting at his dining room table. Werewolves, especially female ones were very tomboyish and Hayley fit that description perfectly. Giuliana on the other hand was primped and polished wherever she went since her parents brought her up to always look her best. The wolf pushed out her chair slightly and eased her leg up to rest her boot on the edge of the table. Klaus gave Hayley a disapproving look, but she kept her foot propped up on the table.

"That's what you get for letting a dog eat at the table." Giuliana said into her wine glass and Hayley glared at her.

"Told you that she starts everything," she growled.

Klaus sighed once more, thank god he put their place settings on opposite sides of the table. "I really thought this would be a nice, quiet dinner."

"It was," Hayley motioned. "Till she opened her mouth."

Giuliana narrowed her green eyes. "Is is me or do I hear a wolf howling?"

The female wolf slammed her glass down on the table loudly. "Enough with the dog jokes!"

"It's a force of habit." The woman shrugged, sipping down more of her wine. She pushed her plate aside and rose from the table, grabbing an apple from the tray at the center. Hayley grabbed one too while Klaus sat back in his chair, eyeing her.

"So, you're rested, you're fed. Tell me about Katerina." He said.

Hayley scoffed, taking a bite from her apple. "Most men get their power kick from torture and intimidation. With you, it's drinks and fine dining."

Klaus grinned at her wolfishly. "Well, in your case, I favor hospitality over unpleasantness, but I have been known to change my mind on a whim. Where is Katerina?"

"The doppelganger?" Giuliana raised an eyebrow and Klaus nodded.

"I learn that Hayley here tipped her off as to what we were up to and set her on a course to find the cure. In return, she sent her lackey to snuff her out." He explained.

"Well," Giuliana slid an apple wedge past her lips and looked to Hayley. "Guess that means you're on the run."

"I promised to protect her so long as she cooperates." Klaus stared down the young wolf and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Tell me, what did Katerina promise you?"

For a few beats, Hayley didn't speak. She set her foot down on the floor and leaned forward in her chair. "I was in New Orleans trying to find information about my real parents. Katherine found me and told me she could help."

Klaus raised both of his eyebrows. "An orphan? Well, that does explain your charming bravado. Abandonment issues will do it every time."

"Sounds like you would know." She told him and looked to Giuliana. "You too. Didn't he kill your family?"

"Nope, only my brother." The woman sliced another piece of fruit. "He," she pointed the tip of her knife at Klaus. "Is a ruthless son of a bitch when he wants to be." Klaus smirked at that.

"Well, you two seem to have that in common." Hayley remarked smartly and raised the apple to her lips. Giuliana then flung the knife right at her from across the table. Before Hayley could blink, the sharp blade slashed through the air and was embedded in the apple. She dropped it onto the table, worry lines creasing her forehead that the knife could have hit her, but she was aware that Giuliana was all about scaring her.

"I'm suddenly not hungry anymore," the wolf murmured and darted from the dining room, leaving her plate and speared apple on the table.

"You certainly know how to clear a room, love." Klaus told her.

Giuliana smirked viciously. "She's lucky I didn't slip up. I would have hated sticking her in the eye."

* * *

Their search led them to Grove Hill Hospital. All the while, Rebekah was whining and complaining which made Cassandra wish that she would have staked her when she had the chance. The trio slipped past security without a problem and were now wandering the white halls.

"Why exactly would you think a sick vampire would check into a hospital?" Rebekah asked as she peered through the glass windows at the sick patients.

"Our vampire assassin probably attacked Hayley at night because he didn't have a daylight ring, so he needs to stay away from the sun." Cassandra explained and stopped at a large steel door towards the end of the hall. "Hospitals are open 24/7 and they've got a blood supply to satisfy his thirst." She pushed open the door and motioned for the two other vampires to follow her. Cassandra went straight for a metal cooler and threw it open but was more than confused to see it completely empty. She popped the lid on the other cooler to see empty trays with labels of different blood types on them. The entire cooler was cleaned out of blood packs. She moved to the next cooler and found the same thing.

"Impressive. You're like Sherlock Holmes with brain damage." The blonde Original grumbled.

Damon rolled his bright blue eyes. "Stefan said the Mystic Falls Hospital had its entire blood bank raided too."

"It looks like our vampire gets around," Rebekah noted.

"There is no way a vampire dying of a werewolf bite has the time or strength to steal from both hospitals." Cassandra sighed and shut the cooler doors."This is someone else."

Rebekah tilted her head to the side. "Who?"

"That's another problem." Damon crossed his arms over his chest. "But on the plus side, if our guy did by chance come here, he's got nothing, which means he's nearby and he's hungry."

"And so, the adventure continues." Cassandra and Damon made their way to leave the room but Rebekah blocked their way.

"This better not be a wild goose chase."

"We want to find Katherine as much as you do." The hybrid told her.

"Really? Why? I heard your little chat with Stefan. He wants to cure Elena and I'm pretty sure that she doesn't want it anymore since she's completely shut everything off."

"We're not giving it to Stefan." Damon growled. "We want the cure."

"I think you're best off leaving it for me." She told the pair.

Cassandra scoffed, "You're forgetting who has the cure for a werewolf bite, Bex. Right now, I'm the only person who can cure that vampire and get all the answers, so you're pretty much useless in all of this."

"But-"

"But nothing." She interjected. "Now, we need to find a dying vampire, so if you'll excuse us," she took Damon's hand and side stepped Rebekah. The Original growled low in her throat and followed them. She hated being useless.

* * *

A few hours later, there was no sign of Hayley, but Giuliana was eagerly looking through Klaus's gallery. Many of his pieces were very dark and eerie, but they were a clear window into his inner mind. She heard him enter the room but he didn't even announce his presence. Truthfully, he didn't even need to. His alpha male persona was magnified and very difficult to ignore.

"I like them." She told him. "Much better than the snowflake one."

Klaus chuckled and joined her side. "Well, painting is a metaphor for control. Every choice is mine." He picked up a painting of a dark figure silhouetted by a fading sky. The figure was standing by a bare tree and it made Giuliana wonder as to why he painted it. "The canvas, the color. As a child, I had neither a sense of the world nor my place in it, but art taught me that one's vision can be achieved with sheer force of will. The same is true of life, provided one refuses to let anything stand in one's way."

"Hmm, that's an interesting philosophy." She took the painting in her hands. "And don't think just because we're talking about paintings that I'm letting you off the hook for ripping my throat out."

"I knew you weren't going to let me just walk out the front door, so I improvised." He shrugged.

"I'll never get an apology out of you, will I?" Giuliana placed the painting down. "You were never one for apologies. You're too proud."

"You're very observant." Klaus snickered.

"And you have a smart mouth." She bit back.

"That's something else we have in common." He smirked at her.

* * *

"Well, nobody could ever mistake you for subtle." Rebekah murmured as Damon removed his fangs from the neck of a hospital employee.

"Patience, blondie." Cassandra told her.

"It's okay. Now, I want you to walk very slowly to your car. Off you go." Damon let her go and watched her walk off.

The blonde Original wrinkled her nose. "You know, I just don't see how this increases our odds any."

"I've been on the other side of a wolf bite. First you get really sick. Then you get really hungry. Since the sun's gone down, I'm imagining he's gonna be looking for his last supper. I just laid out a 3 course, 115-pound meal for him." Damon wiped the blood from his lips and happened to see the vampire emerging from the shadows. Before the vampire could even bite into his meal, Damon whisked him away and pinned him against a tree. His arm was in mid swing, ready to strike when he caught sight of the vampire's face.

"Damon?"

"Will?"

The two vampires looked at one another, stunned that out of the places they would find each other, it was here. Will's eyes now shifted to Cassandra and he gave a little smile.

"Cassandra?" The woman's eyebrows furrowed. How did he know her? "Hey."

"Uhm, I'm sorry I don't..."

"You mean, you don't remember me?" Will frowned and Cassandra shook her head. "Dy-no-mite?" He spoke, but the hybrid just looked at him curiously.

"Hey, Will." Damon called gently. "You okay? What happened to you?"

Will pulled his collar away from his neck, revealing an angry, bleeding bite wound. "I think there's something wrong with me. I need help."

"Yeah, it's okay. I know what to do." The raven haired vampire told him sympathetically and Cassandra immediately stepped forward, splitting her wrist with her teeth. Just as she extended her arm out to Will, Damon plunged his fist into his chest and pulled out his heart.

"Damon!" Cassandra watched him drop will to the ground and toss the heart aside.

Rebekah flashed to him. "What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"He was too far gone. I put him out of his misery." Damon told the girls and left Will's body to rot on the cold concrete.

* * *

Damon and Cassandra entered the boarding house expecting it to be empty but that idea was derailed when they saw a slew of drunk teenagers on the front lawn. All of them were on vervain, so they couldn't compel them to leave. They either had to wait till they got bored or they could just join the party. The raven haired vampire snatched a bottle of bourbon from the grip of a particularly inebriated girl and took a sip.

"I am not cleaning this shit up." Cassandra sighed and took the bottle from him. As she guzzled some of the liquid down, she sensed a presence behind her. "Will you please just take a hint and leave us alone?

"What are you hiding? I know you knew that vampire." Rebekah looked to Damon.

"I know a lot of dead people," he told her.

"You killed him to prevent me from finding Katherine to keep me from getting the cure." She glared dangerously.

Damon rolled his eyes. "Do you really want the cure? I mean really? Look. Let me give you a little bit of advice. See these girls?" He pointed at some drunk girls that were dancing in the living room. "They look happy, now. In five years, they're gonna settle for a mediocre starter-husband and a mind-numbing career, and about that time, they're gonna realize something you're never gonna have to learn."

"And what would that be?" Rebekah asked.

"Life sucks when you're ordinary. And what makes you exactly not like them? You're a vampire. You take that cure, become human, well, you're no one, nothing. Trust me. Losing this cure is the best damn thing that ever happened to you." Damon spoke with a wide grin and a troubled look crossed Rebekah's features. His words sunk into her brain and she looked back at the human girls. She hated when Damon was right.

Husband and wife climbed the stairs when Cassandra's phone buzzed in the pocket of her leather jacket. She pulled it out and rolled her eyes at the text that she read.

_Elena's AWOL. Need help._

"God dammit," the couple muttered.

* * *

"Well, Hayley is asleep and I've just received news from Rebekah that her vampire assassin is dead." Klaus announced as he poured himself and Giuliana a drink.

"All is well, I suppose." She nodded her thanks and took a glass. "You know that you'll have to burn the sheets when she leaves? Oh, then again you're part werewolf, so you don't mind the smell of dog or the fact that you'll have to let her out at night to pee."

"You're a cruel woman." He snickered.

"She sent her friend to hunt me down and then proceeded to bash my face into the rim of a public toilet seat." She grimaced and downed her drink.

"Point taken." The Original took her glass and refilled it.

"Don't expect me to feel bad for her because she's an orphan because I'm practically one too." Giuliana found herself at Klaus's work table again. She couldn't take her eyes away from the drawings and paintings that rested there. Content with a glass of scotch, she hadn't left the room the entire night. The darkness in each painting would reach its hand out and curl around her wrist, tugging her gently to have a closer look.

"You wanna know why I like these paintings?" She asked him.

"Well, perhaps it was because it allowed you to see into my deep, wounded soul." Klaus muttered and she placed her scotch down before making her way towards him. Each step was slow and lethargic, as if she was taking her sweet time.

"That's part of it," she mused as she stood before him now. "The other part of it is, that no one can see the real you unless they see your work." Her green eyes bore into his sky blue orbs intensely. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and bit it teasingly, making Klaus's gaze falter from her eyes to her lips.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to seduce me in an effort to get me to spill all of my deep, dark secrets to you." He smirked.

"You forget, Klaus. I've been pretty much dead since the eleven hundreds." Giuliana murmured softly. "I'm awfully rusty. But, there is one thing I do remember."

Klaus closed in on her, the distance between them was getting smaller and smaller. His hand rose to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. "And what is that?" He asked and Giuliana's eyelashes fluttered as she leaned into his touch.

"That you always liked to be in control," she whispered, her warm breath caressed his lips.

"I wouldn't want to go too hard on you, darling. You're not a hunter anymore, so I could very easily snap you like a twig." Klaus spoke as his hand traveled lower to stroke over her exposed shoulder and collarbone. He could feel her heartbeat racing from underneath her skin, it was practically thudding so loud that the sound overpowered the crackling fire.

"You were always rough," she replied huskily.

"I never heard you complaining." He smirked and ran his thumb over her prickling skin. "Are you saying that I can't be gentle?"

Giuliana's emerald green gaze locked onto his own and she licked her lips. "I don't want you to be." Klaus eyed her up and down, taking in every delectable aspect of her. Her full breasts, her tiny waist, her womanly hips. It all made his mouth water. He spied Giuliana biting her bottom lip and he leaned forward, grasping the plump skin with his teeth and yanking it through. She whimpered as her lip smacked back into place and Klaus's hands roughly grabbed her hips and pressed her soft curves into his hard muscles. Her eyes darkened feeling his arousal against her stomach and he took control by crushing his lips onto hers. He was rough with her, his fingers were bruising, his lips were ruthless and Giuliana couldn't bring herself to stop this. Shirts were yanked over their heads and Giuliana could see that Klaus had some tattoos of his own.

In a rush of movement, Klaus hoisted Giuliana up onto his hips before tossing her onto the table where she had placed her drink. Her heated back came in contact with the cool wood and she squirmed against the sensation. She moved to lean up, desperately wishing to connect their lips once more, but Klaus's firm hand on her stomach forced her back down. Klaus then mounted her, his form looming over hers and he took the chance to admire her. Hair sprawled out around her, her swollen lips were begging to be kissed once more, her racy red bra rose and fell with each pant. She certainly was a sight to behold.

Instead of kissing her lips, Klaus went straight for her neck and nibbled there. He could feel her body wriggle around beneath him and he remembered many a time when in the eleven hundreds that he'd bite her there with blunt teeth and she became a whimpering mess. Something about being bitten just appealed to her, this was even before she knew that he was a vampire. Alexander always warned her of those wretched creatures of the night, but perhaps because it was so forbidden to her that she craved it more.

Giuliana jolted out of her sleep and her hand flew to the side of her neck to find that the skin was untouched. Her eyes then found a smirking Klaus sitting by the roaring fireplace, a drink in his hands.

"Nice dream." She told him. "But I think I was a little out of character. Maybe you're not as good as you thought."

Klaus's smirk only grew and he took a sip of his bourbon. "Like you said, I like being in control."

The woman rose from the couch she was sprawled out on and sauntered over to Klaus while teasingly swaying her hips. "But you left out one very important part of the dream."

"Hmm, and what's that?" He asked as she stood in front of him now. Giuliana bent down, bracing her hands on the arms of his chair and leaned forward, giving Klaus a view of her cleavage. Her green eyes sparkled with lust as she straddled Klaus's hips. His hands moved to hold her, but she swatted them away roughly.

"I like to be in control too." She purred and curled her fingers around his beaded necklace before smashing his lips onto hers. Her lips enclosed his bottom lip, biting and dragging it through her teeth with a rough yank. His hands found her hips again, but she gripped his wrists and pinned them behind him while ravaging his sinful lips. They were rough and soft at the same time as she speared her tongue inside his mouth without asking for permission. Klaus hooked his tongue around hers, sucking it into his mouth and nibbling it with his sharp fangs. A tug at his short hair pulled him away from her lips and he snarled up at her. Giuliana simply smirked before pushing Klaus's face in between her breasts. She took his wrists and placed them on her thighs, allowing him to touch her this time. Klaus rubbed his face against her warm olive skin and Giuliana sighed at the sensation of his stubble scratching here and there. His tongue darted out to lap at the skin and he drew a long, wet line from the swell of her breasts, up her neck and under her chin. With her hands still rooted in his hair, she directed him right back to her breasts and she pulled the strap down on her nightgown, exposing herself to him. His mouth engulfed the perking nub, roughly sucking at first and then dragging his teeth over the raw skin. Giuliana's head was thrown back as she rocked her hips against his, eager to cause more friction in between her legs.

"Klaus," she moaned passionately and she felt him smirk against her breast. "If you want my blood, take it." It was a request he made sure to consider. He knew her blood would poison him, but at the same time, she was allowing him to touch her so intimately that it seemed like she'd let him drink his fill. His fangs grew longer and he was now dragging them along the skin, this temptation was too much for him to endure. The sharp points prodded her breast, searching for the right spot to pierce. Once he found it, Klaus tested the skin and was ready to bite.

"Well, I can see that you two are busy." Hayley's voice broke Klaus and Giuliana from their pleasure crazed haze and saw her leaning against the doorframe.

"I have what I need from you. Show yourself out." Klaus commanded, his amber eyes still shining.

"Actually, I was coming to tell you that you got an urgent message from Stefan." The wolf padded into the room, dangling Klaus's cell phone. "You shouldn't leave your things lying around."

Giuliana growled, rising from her seat in Klaus's lap. "Get to the point, Hayley."

"Aww. You're frustrated that I messed up your little tirade?" Hayley pouted in mock sympathy. "Don't worry, you two can finish up after I'm gone." She clicked through Klaus's phone to open the message from Stefan and cleared her throat, but Klaus snatched it out of her hand. "Rude," she scoffed.

Klaus glared at her before letting himself read over the message. His blue eyes narrowed and then widened dramatically. The block letters burned into his brain and he knew that no one would dare joke about this.

"What is it, Klaus?" Giuliana asked him, a worried look upon her face. He didn't say a word, he just passed her the phone and she took it gingerly in her hands. Staring back at her was a message that would strike fear into everyone's hearts, including her own.

_We've got a problem. Silas is in Mystic Falls._

* * *

"How much longer am I supposed to sit here?" Elena whined as she kicked her feet while sitting on the edge of Damon's bed. The pair found the baby vampire wrestling with Caroline deep in the woods. The fight had gotten so bad that Elena had a stake aimed right at Caroline's heart.

"Well, I'm not big on goal-setting, but let's just imagine a time when you don't wanna kill your best friend." Damon told her as he riffled through a wooden chest filled with papers and photographs.

The baby vampire's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you judging me? How many times have you tried to kill Stefan?"

"That's different. They're brothers. You're supposed to want to kill your brother." Cassandra chimed in and Damon plucked up a small Polaroid photograph of himself and Will. A nostalgic smile graced his lips as he examined the picture.

"Still don't remember him?" Damon showed it to his wife and she shook her head.

"I don't know why I can't remember this guy." She frowned and took in Damon's smirk and mussed hair. "You were quite the punk back then."

"A hot punk." He smirked and pocketed the picture. "Well, I'm going to do some damage control." He looked right at Elena, glaring. "Behave." The vampire left the two women and the baby vampire sighed, leaning back on the bed.

"What were you thinking when you went after Caroline tonight?" Cassandra asked her angrily an Elena shrugged.

"Don't know. Don't care." She replied monotonously.

"Elena-"

"Don't." The vampire sat up now. "Every time someone starts with "Elena," I get some stupid lecture. Everyone just needs to stop telling me that I need to feel. I do feel, Cassandra. I feel amazing."

"You don't want to be like this. It's not you." Cassandra told her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Then how should I be? Should I go back to being the scared little girl who couldn't admit what she wants? Is that how you'd prefer me to go back to being?" Elena crossed her arms over her chest.

"No, Elena. I want you to be strong and brave, but shutting off your emotions isn't the way to do it," she said.

"But I see you and Damon and you both are having so much fun." She grinned.

"But our emotions are on. We take responsibility for what we do and sometimes, things happen that hurt us. Not just physical pain, but emotional pain too." Cassandra explained. "For a good amount of time I had my emotions shut off and it was the worst decision I ever made. I don't want you to end up like me."

"God! You and Damon are not my parents, so why don't you stop trying to act like it! I know you two want a kid, but stop treating me like one!" Elena huffed and hopped off the bed, stomping off to her new room much like a child having a temper tantrum.

Cassandra ran her hands through her hair and sighed deeply. She knew that Elena would fight her and Damon tooth and nail about turning her emotions back on, but they both had to try to get her back to old self again. Damon came back into the room again to see her frowning.

"What's wrong?" He asked her worriedly and made his way over to the chest of pictures.

The hybrid waved it off. "Nothing. Elena's just having another one of her tantrums." Damon treated it like nothing too and went back to searching through the box. "Maybe if you organized things a little better," she grimaced as she eyed the mess of letters, diaries and photos in the large chest.

"We're vampires, we can't help it if we're hoarders." He told her.

"What is this?" Cassandra plucked a photo from the box and she let out a squeal. "Is this you?"

Damon peered over at the photo and smiled. "Yeah,"

"Oh, you were so cute as a baby!" She beamed and her eyes then ran over the woman who was holding Damon. She was beautiful. Her long dark hair was pinned up against her scalp and her light eyes shined brightly with pride. "Is this your mom?" Damon simply nodded. "She's beautiful, Damon. You have her eyes."

"And her spitfire attitude." The vampire added. "That was one thing my dad hated about me. I reminded him too much of her."

Cassandra frowned and kneeled beside Damon. "I wish I could thank her."

"Why's that?" He wrinkled his nose.

"For bringing a man like you into the world." She kissed the tip of his nose and looked down at the picture again. "You look just like her."

"That's where I get my devastatingly good looks from." Damon wiggled his eyebrows and looped an arm around her shoulder.

* * *

"Damon's phone," Cassandra answered smoothly and peered over to her vampire husband. "I've always wanted to do that."

Damon smirked, keeping his eyes on the road while Stefan gave an audible sigh. _"Where's Damon?"_

"He's driving." The hybrid told him.

_"That's never stopped him from answering the phone before."_ He grumbled.

"Stefan, there is nothing wrong with setting a good example for others." Cassandra explained while Damon's smirk grew wider.

_"Fine. I'll bite. Where are you two?"_

"We went out for a little drive to clear our heads. Today was a long day." She sighed and reclined in the passenger seat of Damon's Camero.

_"Well, we got a little problem. You said blood was stolen from Grove Hills Hospital? The sheriff said there's been reports of six other blood bank thefts all within 30 miles of Mystic Falls. Somebody's stockpiling blood. It wasn't Elena, and it's not us."_

"Okay, so..." Cassandra trailed off.

_"I think Silas followed us back from that island. He hasn't fed in 2,000 years, so he would need to gorge on blood. It explains the thefts."_ Stefan told her.

"Lovely. That's another problem to add to the list. Listen, Stef, we'll be back soon, so hold down the fort while we're gone. Ciao" She hung up the phone and tucked it back in her pocket.

"He's gonna hate you for that." Elena piped up from the back seat.

"Yeah, well, he'll have to get over it." Cassandra's eyes met hers in the rearview mirror.

"So, where are we going?" The vampire asked curiously.

Damon and Cassandra gave each other a sideways glance, the both of them smirking mischievously. "A place every newbie vampire should go at least once in their life- New York." Damon spoke.

"The city that never sleeps." His wife added and Elena sat up, her eyes glued on the road with an excited smile on her lips.

* * *

****Dun dun dun! Damon, Cassandra, and Elena road trip to NYC! Silas is in Mystic Falls! Giuliana and Klaus are getting a little sleamy ;) And if Klaus didn't save Giuliana from the Gilbert house, who did? Hope you all enjoyed and pleeeaassee review!**  
**

**Mimi81: Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like it!**

**shippolove844: Thanks for your review! Yeah, everyone should have listened to Kol! He's probably on the Other side being like: "I told you so!" Haha!**

**Daisy96: I agree! I had a lot of fun writing their scenes! I think they make a good team! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: I'm glad you love Cassandra and Damon! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for reviewing!**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Hehe I like all of Damon's sides ;) If you catch my drift! Thanks for your review!**

**vikki dillard: Thanks girl! Glad you love it!**

**21angle: Hehe, you know me so well ;) I've got double smut in this chapter! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for reviewing!**

**Lycan Lover 411: Yeah, Katherine has been a very bad girl and I'm sad for Jeremy too! And as for Shane...grrhh! I'm not a fan of him! Cassandra sure takes a beating, but she always bounces back from it all! Thanks for reviewing!**

**grapejuice101: Hmm, bad Elena was a bit of a challenge to write, but I think I was able to pull it off! Hope you enjoy and thanks for leaving a review!**

**xoxobianca13: Very glad that you love Damon and Cassandra together! It makes me wish that she was on the show for real! Elena being emotionless is a pain to write because she doesn't care about anything, but I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks so much for reviewing!**

**Tvdlover87654: Thank you for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter and the NY chapter is so so much fun for me to write! Can't wait to get it out to you guys!**


	21. Because the Night part 1

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 21: Because the Night part 1**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

********If you reviewed the previous chapter - take a look at the bottom! I've replied to them :)****

* * *

_The female body in Cassandra's arms gave one last final twitch before her heartbeat flat lined and her skin grew cold. Cassandra dropped it to the ground, humming dreamily at the taste at the tastes that assaulted her. She then proceeded searching through the woman's pockets and clicked her tongue against her teeth once she found what she was looking for. A smirk spread across her bloody lips when she found a small bag of white powder and she slipped it in the pocket of her leather jacket. "Ooh, thank you."_

_Cassandra then heard the sound of a garbage pail being knocked over. She lifted her brown eyes just in time to see a shadowy figure flit out of the alley she was feeding in. Quick footsteps pounded down the alley, but Cassandra just chuckled. She knew he wouldn't get very far. In seconds, she flashed before the man who had stopped in his tracks, nearly smashing into the vampire. He was a small man with dark brown hair and even darker eyes that held such fear in them that Cassandra let herself smirk, the blood still dripping down her chin._

_"Hello there, handsome." She purred sensually and the man started to slowly back up, his hands raised._

_"Hey, listen. I-I don't want any trouble." He __stammered, __almost tripping over his own feet._

_"But, you see, I have a little problem now." Cassandra followed him slowly, each step made her new victim uneasy. "You saw me feeding and I can't have you running around and blabbing my secret."_

_"Please, I-" The man tripped over an empty beer bottle, falling backwards and Cassandra now cornered him against the wall. He looked for a means of escape, but found none - he was done for."Look, what do you want?" The man asked and proceeded to dig his hands through his pockets, looking for some kind of offering he could give to his captor to spare his life, however he didn't have much to give her. "You want money? I have money." He took out a few dollar bills, handing them to her and she gave out a little chuckle._

_"Hmm, what's your name?" The vampire hummed, tilting her head to the side._

_"W-Will." He replied._

_"Okay, Will. Let me pose this question to you. What can you give me that will ensure that I can let you live?" Cassandra gently dragged the tip of her nail up and down his neck, listening as his heart pumped furiously to make his blood rush through his veins that rested just underneath the skin. Will was trying to press himself backwards into the brick wall, but he was frozen in fear as he watched Cassandra's fangs lengthen and her eyes darken._

_"I have a business!" Will blurted out._

_"Yes, I know. You own the bar." Cassandra rolled her eyes._

_"No, I mean, I get IDs for vampires on the run." He explained and the vampire seemed to be intrigued by this information._

_"Okay, Will. So, say I get you these IDs. What's in it for me?" The vampire pressed her nail into Will's skin, breaking it and allowing a trail of blood to slide down his neck. He groaned and she lifted her bloody finger to her lips, suckling the sweet ambrosia. After letting her finger slip from her mouth, Cassandra clicked her teeth and pursed her lips. "How about this, I get you the IDs and you let me feed in your bar."_

_"But-" Will suddenly groaned out as Cassandra speared her nails into his neck, bringing him closer._

_"You're not negotiating with me now, are you Will?" She hissed, digging her nails into the skin._

_"N-no! You can feed in my bar!" He was desperate to have Cassandra let him go. "You can do whatever you want!"_

_Cassandra smiled evilly and eyed Will for a few moments, as if taking in his offer. She unhanded him and lapped at her nails which were covered in Will's blood. "So, you're saying that I can do whatever I want?"_

_"Yes! Anything!" Will nodded and the vampire grinned, biting her lower lip._

_"It was a pleasure doing business with you, handsome." Cassandra swirled her tongue over her fingers. "Should we shake on it? Although, I prefer a blood oath." She joked but Will was more than happy that he had managed to bargain with a vampire and keep his life._

Cassandra blinked and the last bits of the memory passed by her. Will. Of course. Now she remembered him. The photo of Will and Damon was laid in her lap, her fingers toying with the edges and her eyes running over the faces of the two men. The nineteen seventies was a dark period for Cassandra; she only remembered certain things. Most of the times, she'd feed so hard she'd black out and wake up with men she didn't remember. As Damon continued to drive down the bustling New York City streets, bits and pieces of memories were coming back to her. Very painful, dark and bloody memories that she suppressed for years were breaking the surface. She tapped her knuckles against the window of Damon's Camaro as she watched the streets pass her by. Maybe coming back to New York wasn't such a good idea.

* * *

"So, some blood went missing from a few hospitals. What about Elena? Don't vampires with their humanity off tend to overindulge in human blood?" Klaus spoke as he remained perched on a chair in the Salvatore living room. Stefan had called him and Giuliana over to speak about the possibility that Silas was roaming around in Mystic Falls. The ex-hunter leaned against a bookcase, opposite Klaus. "Or were you the exception?" The hybrid grinned over at the brooding green eyed vampire.

Stefan took Klaus's dig like it was nothing and let it roll right off his back. "It's not Elena."

"Well, let's say for a moment that it was Silas. I'm struggling to see how this affects me." He shrugged.

"Look. Silas wants to die and be reunited with his one true love, but he's supernatural, so if he takes the cure and dies, he gets stuck on the Other Side." Stefan explained.

Klaus grinned. "How Shakespearian."

"But if he destroys the Other Side altogether, he can take the cure, die, and pass on, but in destroying it, every dead supernatural being will return to our side." The vampire told him.

"That means every werewolf, every witch, every vampire. I wonder how many of those you personally killed. Care yet?" Caroline added venomously.

"I would start packing up your stuff now because once the Other Side is destroyed, every supernatural being you killed will be coming after you." Giuliana chimed in.

Klaus grinned widely, tapping his fingers against the couch. "My interest is piqued." He then looked to the green eyed vampire. "How do we stop him?"

"Bonnie said Silas needs to complete three massacres to do this spell. Before Professor Shane died, he convinced the pastor to blow up the council. Next, he had you kill your hybrids, and now he only needs one more massacre, so if he's here, that's what he's doing. We need to find him." Stefan informed them.

"What do you know about Silas?" Caroline asked the ex-hunter.

Giuliana shrugged. "Not much. Just that we were supposed to use the cure against Silas. So, naturally he won't be too happy that I'm walking around, regardless if I'm a hunter or not. However, there is one small problem, Stefan. No one knows who Silas is or what he looks like. Basically we're all screwed."

"Great. Just what we need." The blonde sighed hopelessly.

* * *

"So, you two dragged me all the way to New York because you were feeling nostalgic?" Elena raised a curious eyebrow while the trio walked along the streets of New York City. People passed them by and vendors were eagerly trying to sell knock-off pocketbooks to customers.

"No, we dragged you to New York because in a matter of three days, you managed to piss off everyone in Mystic Falls," Damon corrected her.

"And New York is bigger, therefore it has a lot more people and it's little more difficult to piss off a city of millions," Cassandra added humorously.

"I was hungry." Elena shrugged innocently.

"You were reckless." She grumbled.

"Emotionless. There's a difference." The baby vampire grinned.

"Look, all that matters is that when I lived here, I fed like crazy and had a blast and went undetected for years." The female hybrid told her.

"So... we're just here to have fun?" She trailed off and stopped walking, watching Damon and Cassandra down the crowded street hand in hand. She jogged up to them and vamp sped to block their way. "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch. Look, you wanted out, we got you out. You wanted to feed, we brought you to a city-sized, all-you-can-eat buffet. That's the beauty of New York. There's so much life that a little death goes unnoticed." Damon explained and Elena seemed to be very content with that answer.

Cassandra grinned and spied some healthy looking humans down the block. "Come on, let's go get some lunch." The baby vampire smirked at Damon before joining the hybrid as they sauntered to their meals.

* * *

"I know that you and Damon are up to something." Elena droned once more as she fluffed her hair in the mirror. The two found something, or someone rather, to munch on for lunch and the baby vampire spied a little chic salon along the way. Eager to appease Elena, Cassandra went along for the ride and even got herself a manicure since she was in dire need of one.

Cassandra rolled her eyes and drummed her fingers while they were underneath the dryer. "We're up to nothing."

"I don't buy it." The vampire eyed her through the mirror while her stylist was chopping at her layers with a thin tipped scissor. She had also added hot pink streaks to her hair which made her look trendier. "Last night, you two were pissed at me for throwing that party and attacking Caroline."

"Rightly so. We're trying to help you, Elena." Cassandra spoke. "Ever since you've turned off your switch, you've been-"

"Liberated, carefree, lively-"

"A heinous bitch is the term that most comes to mind." The hybrid cut her off and removed her hands from underneath the dryer. She eyed her neon pink nails and sauntered over to Elena. "Seriously, though, we're taking this trip to help you."

"I don't need anyone's help." Elena shook her head. "I'm fine."

Cassandra sighed deeply and leaned against the stylist's station. "I remember saying that once."

"Once?" The brunette vampire tilted her head at her.

"Actually, more than once." She nodded. "Let's get back to Damon before he thinks I let you run wild."

* * *

"Looks about right." Damon nodded nostalgically as the three of them entered Billy's bar. A few people were busy cleaning and setting up for the night crowd.

Elena sighed dramatically. "I was promised hedonism."

"Well, it's early. Hedonism isn't a big fan of the sunlight." Cassandra chimed in.

"Or soap." The baby vampire made a face and wrinkled her nose as she closely examined the dirty floor and tables. The strong scent of vomit was also assaulting her nostrils.

"Easy, judgy," Damon droned.

"Give it a couple of hours. This place will be crawling with more punked-out nihilists than you can eat in a decade, trust me." The hybrid smirked.

"How do you know?" Elena asked.

"Because Cassandra and I spent most of the seventies here. The Factory was too clean, CBGB's was too high-profile, but Billy's…Billy's was the underground of the underground." Damon grinned.

_A beer bottle smashed against the wall as the loud rock and roll band played. People in the crowd jumped to the music and spilled their drinks all over other patrons. Billy's bar in the seventies was the place to be if you were a vampire. Victims were always unsuspecting and too drunk to even comprehend that they were being made a meal of. Cassandra shoved her way passed angsty patrons and sauntered her way up to the bar._

_"There you go." Cassandra slapped down two IDs down on the bar._

_Will looked over and grinned. "Two for one. Dy-no-mite."_

_"Dy-no-mite." Cassandra beamed back at him and leaned against the bar, snatching a beer from Will's hand that he was going to give to a customer. She opened the cap on the edge of the bar and Will gave her a disapproving glance, but she ignored it._

_"That's the third 5' 7" brunette I've gotten for you, Billy boy. Is it that same client?" She asked._

_"She's a runner. Some vampires need more identities than others." Will told her but she wasn't listening to him. She was more concentrated on two grungy guys that were shoving each other back and forth. One of them was bleeding from his upper lip and Cassandra's eyes immediately zeroed in on it. The scent wafted into her nostrils and the veins spread beneath her eyes, a hungry stare in her crimson pools._

_A firm hand on her shoulder made her turn back to see Will staring her down. "Hey. Be discreet."_

_Cassandra leaned in close to him and parted her lips, showing off her deadly fangs and Will shied away. Even though she did work for him, she was still a vampire and an emotionless one at that. "Will, the deal was that you let me feed in your club if I kill people and give you their IDs. There was never any mention of discretion." She slid off the side of the bar like a serpent and sauntered to her meal. They were still arguing and if Cassandra was lucky, she'd get a dinner special and get the two of them. A pinch at her behind made her smirk and stop in her tracks._

_"Hungry, baby?" A smooth voice purred in her ear and she turned to see a tall man with shaggy blonde hair and green eyes._

_"Who said I'll share with you, Troy?" Cassandra poked his chest._

_"Don't be greedy." The vampire smirked at her._

_"You're lucky I'm in a good mood tonight." She grinned and moved in on the man who was still bleeding. She gently took his arm and he turned roughly, his fist clench and ready to swing buy when he saw Cassandra, he immediately halted his hit._

_"Easy, there's no need to fight." She purred, her pupils dilating and constricting. She felt him relax in her hold and she eased him over to the wall, pressing him against it. "Don't scream," Cassandra compelled him and leaned into his neck to feed when suddenly, a hand was wound in her hair and yanking her back. She snarled out, whipping around to see who was disturbing her meal, but she stopped dead in her tracks seeing who it was._

_"You're gonna feed on him right here? You're getting sloppy, Cassie." Lexi shoved the grungy man away and Cassandra could see that Damon had managed to wrestle Troy's meal away from him as well. Cassandra narrowed her eyes at both vampires, crossing her arms over her chest. Looks like Lexi and Damon were here to crash her party and Cassandra wasn't happy about that._

"Cassandra, you got Lexi'd?" Elena raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, unfortunately." The hybrid grimaced.

"Look at what the wind blew in." A deep voice made them turn to the man who owned it. A tall skinny man with blonde hair and green eyes manned the bar and Cassandra ran up to him, hopping over the bar in the process.

"I had a feeling you'd still be here!" She hugged him tightly and the man embraced her back. Elena tilted her head slightly, not knowing who this man was, so she looked to Damon to shed some light on this new character. The raven haired vampire didn't say a word, but his body language spoke volumes. His fists were clenched at his sides, his jaw tensed and his icy gaze was locked on the pair.

The blonde man pulled back, looking over Cassandra with a warm smile. "You look good! I see you're still the same height."

"Shut up! Not everyone is 6'5'', Troy." Cassandra shoved him playfully. Troy now looked over her shoulder to see Damon and Elena standing there awkwardly.

"Damon! You're here too?" Troy quipped and the blue eyed vampire nudged Elena forward.

"Yep, I'm still here." Damon deadpanned. "This is Elena. She's a newbie."

"A pleasure, Elena." Troy took her hand, shaking it. "I'm Troy."

"Nice to meet you." The baby vampire beamed.

"So, what did you do to deserve spending some time with these two wackos?" The blonde man snickered.

"Tried to kill my best friend." Elena shrugged simply.

"Well, you two seem to be getting along nicely," Damon noted and tapped Cassandra on the shoulder. "Can I borrow you for a second, dear?"

Cassandra giggled and hopped back over the bar, placing her hand in Damon's. "Sure, darling." The couple walked out of the bar and Troy gave a low whistle.

"Man, I didn't think he'd still be sour at me," he shook his head and wiped off the bar surface.

"What do you mean?" Elena took a seat on a stool and leaned forward.

"Well, I don't know if they want me to tell you this, but Cassandra and I were a bit of a thing." Troy told her quietly. "Damon was a little jealous of that."

* * *

"Hey! What's wrong?" Cassandra asked worriedly.

Damon took her aside, trying to keep them as far away from Elena so she wouldn't pick up their conversation. "Stefan called."

"What now?" She groaned. "He's mad at us for lying and taking Elena out of town?"

"Yeah, that and he thinks we're getting the cure for Elena." He told her.

"But we all know that Elena doesn't want the cure." Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"No kidding. Try telling my brother that. He doesn't want to listen." He sighed.

"So where does this leave us?" Cassandra mused, running a nervous hand through her hair.

"I'm not giving the cure to Elena," he said outwardly, not a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Cassandra only looked back at him, a look of shock painting her features. "But, Stefan will-"

"I don't care about that." Damon took her hands in his. "We've come too far to throw in the towel." He hardly even recognized his own words, but he never felt so sure of anything in his entire immortal life. "But if we're going to do this, we've gotta play the part, got it?"

Cassandra was in awe. This new man standing before her shocked and thrilled her at the same time. She gently squeezed his hands as little tears fought to streak down her cheeks. She never in a million years thought that she'd find someone who would do anything and everything for her, but she found them.

"Damon, I-"

"Good! Then it's settled." He beamed brightly and moved to lead her back inside Billy's, but she remained rooted to her spot. Her hands released his and cupped his cheeks, her thumbs running over the bones.

"Thank you, Damon." A gentle kiss was pressed to his lips and Damon's hands wound around her hips, pulling her close. His teeth caught her bottom lip, taking little nibbles as he dragged her into an alley behind Billy's. She tried to protest it, but she was just so happy that they were both fighting for the cure together that she let him ravage her lips. Their kiss only grew more passionate as Damon pressed Cassandra into the brick wall. His large hand snaked down her body and cupped her behind through her jeans.

"Damon! We're in public!" She squealed as his lips were now at her ear, biting and kissing there.

"Like that would stop me." His tongue traced the outline of her ear. "Don't think I didn't see you sneaking your hand up my thigh while we were driving.

Cassandra smirked, biting her bottom lip coyly and threaded her hand through his hair. "Too bad Elena was there." With a rough tug at his dark locks, Damon's back was pressed against the wall with his head tilted to the side. "The things I would have done to you in that Camaro." She purred and brought her lips to his collarbone, pulling aside his shirt to reveal the pale smooth skin.

Damon groaned and ground his hips against hers, letting her know how badly he wanted to bend her over and take her right there in that dirty alley. "Dammit. Why did Elena have to come with us again?"

"Because, Stefan wants us to get the cure for her and who are we to not listen to him?" She peered up at him, an innocent smile on her face. They both knew that if they wanted to play it off like they were doing this for Stefan, they sure as hell had to be convincing.

The vampire grinned widely and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "C'mon, I don't think Stefan would like it if we let Troy flirt with Elena."

* * *

They had returned to the bar, hand in hand to see Rebekah perched up on a barstool. The happiness drained from their faces and the blonde Original smirked at them.

"Why the long face, Cassandra?" She grinned.

"Ugh, you! I thought we were going to have fun on this trip." The hybrid growled and Rebekah flew off her stool, smashing Cassandra back into the wall with a hand on her throat.

"But I thought you, Damon, and me made a good team." The blonde pouted, squeezing the brunette's throat.

"Please," Cassandra rasped and shoved her off. "You were dead weight."

"Hey!" Troy barked and made his way over to the group. "Is there a problem here, ladies?"

"No, not yet anyways." Rebekah looked to him with a sweet, innocent smile.

"Well, if you're going to be a problem, I'll have to ask you to leave." He told her sternly and she frowned.

"And here I thought we were getting along nicely." She walked back to the bar, brushing her shoulder against his. "So, Elena, are you having a grand old time?"

"Actually, I'm bored." The baby vampire crossed her arms over her chest.

"We told you to be patient," Cassandra mused. "Actually, Bex, before you so rudely interrupted, I was telling Elena about a time when I had my humanity off."

"You?" Rebekah stared back at her. "The little goody two shoes you are? I don't believe it."

"Well, believe it." The hybrid rolled her eyes.

_Cassandra braced herself as she was tossed out of the back door of Billy's and into a pile of garbage bags in the back alley. Her body sustained the impact of glass beer bottles and the hard concrete of the floor. She peered up at Damon and Lexi who were clearly not amused._

_"What the hell do you two want?" She spat venomously as she got to her feet._

_"You flipped your switch." Damon stated._

_"Very good, Damon. You've always been the observant one." She dusted herself off and narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "Lexi! What moral plane have you descended from?" Cassandra scoffed sarcastically._

_"You're not even covering your tracks. We heard about you in Mystic Falls." She told her._

_"Oh? So, Stefan sent you?" She then looked to Damon. "What's your story, Damon? Come here to save me? You've seen the light with Lexi and now you want to help me?"_

_"If you keep going the way you're going, you're gonna get killed, Cass." Damon spoke and she shook her head._

_"I'll take my chances." She turned on her heel to walk out of the alley, but Damon gripped her arm roughly._

_"I won't!" He tightened the grip on her arm. "What happened to you to make you turn off your switch?"_

_Cassandra yanked her arm from his grip, staring him down. "Like you care. You haven't been around since the forties."_

_"Then let me be here for you now." The raven haired vampire pleaded with her._

_"Don't bother." She growled._

_"We promised Stefan that I would -" Lexi started._

_"No!" Cassandra cut her off. "Look, you and Stefan have a thing. I get it. He always falls off the wagon, you pick him up, and you get off on it." She narrowed her eyes at the blonde who was frozen in shock. "And you," she cast a glance to Damon. "Stop trying to fix me! I don't want or need you!" Cassandra pushed past the both of them and stomped back down the alley where her sleek, black Norton Commando 750S motorcycle was parked on the street. She straddled it and revved the engine, letting it growl as she looked back to Damon who was looking as hopeless as ever. Cassandra drove off, the smell of the exhaust clouding their senses._

_"She's really hit rock bottom." Lexi sighed._

_Damon continued to look after Cassandra with a heavy heart. He'd never seen her this emotionless and cold. When Lexi had approached him a little while ago, he could hardly believe his ears that Cassandra had fallen so far from grace. Cassandra was always level-headed and selfless, but the woman he just encountered was a different woman._

_"She's gone," he__said miserably and Lexi took him by the shoulders._

_"No, you can't think like that. If you think that it's over, then Cassandra will too." The blonde had seen Stefan in ruts much like the one that Cassandra was in, but she was always able to get Stefan out of it. She wasn't sure if she could help Cassandra, but she'd sure as hell try her hardest to get the vampire back on track._

"Well, she sounds dreadful." Rebekah spoke up.

"She had a Mother Teresa complex." Cassandra smirked.

"So, let me guess. After many dark nights with Lexi, she convinced you to turn your emotions back on, and that's exactly what you plan to do with me." Elena mused and tousled her hair.

"You read the last page of the book first, too?" Damon snickered and took Cassandra's hand. "I'm gonna go get a drink. Many drinks." They walked off to the bar, leaving Rebekah and Elena to themselves.

"So you really buy all this?" The blonde asked her.

Elena shook her head, gritting her teeth together. "Not one bit. I know the two of them are after the cure for me. I'm not that stupid."

"Well, let's not say things we don't mean." She spoke and Elena laughed slightly.

"Stefan won't give up until he finds the cure and then makes me take it. So, I guess I'm gonna have to find it first."

Rebekah smiled manically and peered over to Damon and Cassandra who were making some mindless conversation with Troy at the bar. "You're playing them."

"No. They're playing me. I'm just returning the favor." The brunette vampire smirked.

* * *

"What are we even looking for?" Caroline asked as she, Giuliana, Stefan, and Klaus pushed open the door to Professor Shane's apartment. The rooms were dark and mysterious as if begging for people to uncover the historical artifacts and secrets that were hidden there.

"Well, if Shane really was working with Silas, chances are he was helping him plan his next move." Stefan explained.

"Does he have an evil villain to-do list? 'Steal blood, perform 3 massacres, pick up dry cleaning?'" The blonde wrinkled her nose and the group split up, looking around the apartment for any clues.

"Actually, not to nit-pick, but we evil villains usually use minions to pick up our dry cleaning, that sort of thing." Klaus chimed in charmingly and the two girls exchanged glances.

"Classy." Giuliana rolled her eyes.

Caroline looked to Stefan now. "Why is he necessary again?"

"Well, we don't know what Silas can do, so if we do have to go head to head with him, an Original hybrid who can't die might come in handy." The green eyed vampire replied with a heavy sigh. Truthfully, he didn't want Klaus tagging along, but hopefully he would prove himself to be useful.

Klaus smirked widely. "Besides, Stefan and I work well together, or at least we did in the twenties."

"Well, granted my emotions were off." Stefan stated bluntly.

"And that's why you were more fun." He spoke with a grin. "Don't underestimate the allure of darkness, Stefan. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it." Giuliana happened to look up from her searching, taking in Klaus's words. She found herself giving into Klaus's own darkness and she wanted to scold herself for that. Klaus was the man who killed her brother in a blind rage and yet she was kissing him last night. She was actually somewhat thankful that Hayley managed to interrupt them.

"I think I found something!" Caroline's discovery brought Giuliana back to reality and followed the blonde to where she had placed a heavy leather bound book. "Didn't Bonnie talk about Expression Triangles?"

"_Symbolic Figures in the Dark Arts_." Giuliana read the cover and cracked open the book. Her fingers ran over a large, intricate drawing of a triangle.

"In some schools of magic such as Expression, human sacrifice can be used as a focus for power. It is rumored that the addition of two supernatural sacrifices compounds the mystical energy, creating an Expression Triangle." Stefan read off the page.

Caroline pointed to one point on the triangle. "Humans—that was the council fire."

"Demons," the ex-hunter placed her finger over the second point. "Klaus' hybrid failure."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it a failure. What's the third?"

Caroline's eyes ran over the paragraph in the book and she brought her hands to her mouth, clasping them over her lips. "Oh no..."

* * *

**Just a little piece to hold you over! Hope you all enjoyed! Please review and let me know what you think might happen next ;)**_  
_

**grapejuice101:** Thank you for the review! Here's your update :)

**xoxobianca13:** I agree with you! I so wish Cassandra was on the show and I'm glad that you feel like she's a part of the show already! Very happy that you liked Klaus in the last chapter - I did too ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**shippolove844:** Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this first little part of the infamous trio in NY. I've still got more planned, so stay tuned!

**Silently Tearful:** So glad that you enjoyed how I wrote Elena! It was a little tricky! Thanks so much for reviewing and I'll be getting around to updating my other stories soon!

**vikkidillard:** Glad you love my story :D Thank you for reviewing!

**Tvdlover87654:** HAHA! I agree, Elena is a creeper, but I couldn't help but chuckle as I was writing the scene where she was watching Damon and Cassandra. I'm glad you liked the Klaus/Giuliana scenes and Hayley is SUCH a cockblocker! Mystic Falls is FULL of them, hehe! Thanks so much for reviewing!

**Daisy96:** Hmm, you know, you can leave your questions in a review and I'd try to answer them as best as I can without giving too much away ;) But, you will find out why Cassandra has a hard time remembering the events in New York. They'll slowly come back to her. Thanks so much for leaving a review!

**SomebodyWhoCares:** Hehe, yeah Cassie is pretty damn flexible ;) Hmm, as for special talents, I'm sure both Damon and Cassie do! Let your imagination run wild ;) Thanks for the review!

**Lycan Lover 411:** Thank you for reviewing, girl! Yours always make me smile and laugh a little! I love it! Elena certainly is different and not a lot of people like that already! As far as her watching Cass and Damon, she's a creep! Meep! As for Will, you'll find out who he is and how he and Cassandra know each other. Hehe, I'm glad you liked the Klaus and Giuliana smut ;) Hmm maybe it was Elijah who saved her from the Gilbert house! Yeah, Silas is in Mystic Falls *cue dramatic music*He'll most likely be causing some trouble. Stay tuned for the continuation of the NYC road trip!

**Whitttyyy76:** I have a love for Klaus and Giuliana too ;) Hope you enjoyed the little snippet I posted with Damon, Cassandra, and Elena in NY! Thank you so much for reviewing!

**Peace and Luv:** So glad you enjoyed the Damon and Cass scenes! Well, Giuliana and Cass did meet and their meeting was...well, cordial. They met in the "My Brother's Keeper" chapter and they even worked together in the "A View to Kill" chapter. Thank you for reviewing and I'm glad you enjoyed the smut ;)

**Kayla:** Thanks for the review! Yeah, I hope Elena takes her head out of her butt or else Cassandra will have to kick her little newbie vampire butt!

**Meliissaxx3:** Here's your update and thanks for reviewing! Hope this fills the Damon and Cassandra void for you! As far as smut, I'll try to squeeze some in soon!

**Guest:** Here is your update! Hope you enjoy it :D


	22. Because the Night part 2

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 21: Because the Night part 2**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence - go check out her work! She's amazing!**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

Night had come quicker than they expected and Billy's was soon crawling with the hedonism that Elena was craving. Bodies crammed the entire bar and people were crowding the stage by the band. The hybrid weaved through the throngs of patrons while keeping the numerous shot glasses in her hands upright, careful not to the liquor run over. She reached Elena, Rebekah, and Damon who were standing at a table near the dance floor and placed the shot glasses down.

"Is this allowed? What would Lexi say?" Elena asked with a teasing grin.

"Lexi thought the only way I would turn my emotions back on was if I started enjoying my life again." Cassandra told her and handed out the glasses.

"Do not tell me she took you to Bon Jovi concerts, too." Rebekah smirked and the two girls clicked their shot glasses together, toasting each other.

"Wrong decade." The hybrid downed her shot.

"I forgot that you were in a box for most of your life." Damon deadpanned and Rebekah frowned.

"No need to rub it in my face," the blonde mumbled.

Cassandra just simply shrugged and bopped her head along to the music. It was an female band and they were actually pretty good. She wasn't one for rock music, but back in the seventies, she used to worship the rock gods of the time. For just a moment, she let herself travel back into the past once again.

_"You're spiraling, Cassandra and I want to help you," Lexi told her._

_Cassandra rolled her dark brown eyes. For the past few nights, Lexi and Damon had been up her ass about getting back on the straight and narrow and each night, she ignored them. They were relentless and annoying with their attempts, pretty soon they were starting to get on Cassandra's nerves._

_"Do you mind? I'm trying to work here." She smirked and hopped up onto the bar before sliding off it to man her post for the night._

_"Why'd you do it?" Lexi asked as she watched her swab the bar top with a damp rag. "Why'd you shut it off?"_

_"I didn't want to care anymore." Cassandra told her and started filling drink orders. "Honestly, I'm a much happier person because I don't give a shit." As she handed out a few drinks, her eyes caught Damon who had his lips glued to the ones of a small brunette girl with curly hair. Cassandra's confident smirk fell and her hand gripped the edge of the bar, splintering the wood under her strong hold. Damon then broke the kiss to whisper something naughty in the girl's ear which Cassandra managed to catch and that only made her blood boil even more._

_Lexi followed her gaze and could see that Cassandra was jealous. All night, the blonde vampire caught the two of them making eyes at each other and that had to be Cassandra's trigger. "Was it Damon? Was he the one who made you turn it off?"_

_Cassandra's emotionless brown eyes snapped back to meet Lexi and she slammed a glass down on the bar. "What are you? My shrink? If you're not here to drink, then get out!"_

_Bingo. Lexi now knew that in order to get Cassandra to feel again, she'd have to use Damon in any way she could. Hopefully this plan would work, or else they would be back to the drawing board._

_"Alright fine! Get me a cold beer and let's talk about this." The blonde vampire requested and Cassandra slid her a beer across the bar top. "Listen, I'm just here to help you as a favor to Stefan."_

_"And I'm supposed to care, why?" She grumbled._

_"Because I'm not going to leave until you turn your switch back on." Lexi took a long sip of her beer._

_Cassandra groaned, gritting her teeth. "Don't remind me."_

"So, I decided to go along with it all." She told them. "I didn't want Lexi up my ass for the next century and a half, so I just did it to shut her up."

"But you were against it, weren't you?" Elena asked.

"Of course I was. The last thing I wanted to think about was feeling again, but Lexi taught me how to have fun with being a vampire." Cassandra smiled and took off her leather jacket, handing it to Rebekah with a grin and revealing her tight midnight blue one-shoulder top with a flowing sleeve. "Come on, 'Lena! Let's have some fun!"

_Lexi dragged Cassandra's hand and led her into the crowd on the dance floor. Sweaty bodies were rubbing up against one another and the sound of blood rushing hurriedly through veins and arteries was drowning out the sound of the band on stage. The blonde vampire jumped around excitedly and took Cassandra's hands, waving them around and trying to make her dance too. At first, Cassandra was resistant but sooner or later, she warmed up to the idea of dancing. She bopped with Lexi and blurted out the lyrics to the song the band was playing. She was jumping and dancing around, head banging too, when a nudge on her shoulder made her turn and she scowled at Damon who threw her a smirk. Her back was to him now and she crossed her arms over her chest._

_"I saw you dancing before. I've never seen you look so sexy." Damon told her and she chuckled a little._

_"That charm won't work on me, Damon." She shook her head. "Use it on someone else."_

_"Nah, I'm trying to cut down on my slut consumption. One too many can make you bloat." He quipped._

_"What's got you thinking differently?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow at him. "Is it an effort to get me to feel?"_

_The raven haired vampire shrugged, pocketing his hands in his leather jacket. "Nah, you're emotions are off, so I'm not here to force you."_

_"Oh, well, thanks for that." She grinned._

_"Besides, you were always very stubborn." It was meant to be a dig and she fell right for it. Cassandra stared back at him, mouth wide open._

_"What? I am not stubborn!" She denied it._

_"Says the woman who'd practically chase away her suitors." He smirked at her._

_"Well, maybe it was because I had my eyes on something better." Cassandra cast him a flirty glance and he met it._

The two girls danced around, wildly shaking their hair and gyrating their bodies without a rhyme or reason. Cassandra smiled brightly, she sure was having fun and was praying that Elena was too, she sure did look like she was having a good time. Damon and Rebekah watched them with curious glances but the raven haired vampire knew that this was all part of the plan to help with Elena's emotions.

"I'm hungry," Elena yelled to Cassandra over the loud music. The hybrid surveyed the area and picked a healthy looking woman in the crowd. She danced her way over to her and held her by the shoulders.

"Don't scream," she compelled and chomped into the side of the woman's neck. Cassandra took a few sips when she felt a hand at her waist. She moved away from her neck to see Damon on the other side, running his tongue up and down the column of the woman's throat. The pair fed together and Cassandra could see Elena and Rebekah watching them intently. The hybrid squeezed Damon's hand and smirked against her victim's skin. So far, their plan was working to distract the two vampires.

_Cassandra moaned in ecstasy as she drank hungrily from her victim. No one in the bar suspected a thing as she and Damon fed from a woman at the same time. Her teeth unlatched from the woman's neck and she reached for her wrist, but Damon smacked her hand away._

_"Nah, ah." He tsked as the blood dribbled down his lips. Cassandra then leaned forward, her tongue swiped across his bottom lip, catching the blood that threatened to fall. She licked over her sharp fangs as the veins underneath her eyes protruded even deeper. Damon noticed it and yanked her close, forgetting about the woman they had just bitten. Their bloodied lips were mere inches from one another's and Damon's tongue now darted out to lick up some blood from the corner of her mouth. Cassandra was lost in the sensation of him being so close to her. He knew that she was close to letting her guard down and he was now thinking that this was the opportune moment to catch her in a vulnerable place. She could hardly keep herself from whimpering softly and leaning against him, but a tap on her shoulder made her want to rip the person's head off who dared to disturb her._

_"You forgot to compel her." Lexi nagged and handed the woman back to Cassandra. With a roll of her eyes, she compelled the woman to forget everything and bandage up her neck._

_"I'm going to get a drink." Cassandra told the pair of vampires and weaved her way back through the crowd._

_"I had her, Lexi. I've been working at her for months and I was there." Damon told her angrily. "If you would have just let me-"_

_"And what if the plan backfired? She would have slaughtered everyone here." Lexi hushed to him. "You have to get her alone, Damon."_

The couple came up for air, ceasing their feeding for each of them to take either Elena or Rebekah by the hand. The two female vampires immediately jumped on their meal, sinking their fangs into the holes already made by Damon and Cassandra and slurped down the blood that trickled from them. Damon gently took Cassandra's hand and nodded toward a door near the back of the bar. He took her through the crowds and they kept checking over their shoulders to make sure that Rebekah and Elena weren't watching them. The two blood suckers were so enrapt in their meal that Damon and Cassandra were able to slip inside that back room. As they shut the door behind them, they were greeted with the sight of a complete and total disaster area. Boxes, papers, and file cabinets were all over the room and Damon let out an audible groan.

"Ugh. Packrat." He wrinkled his nose at the mess they'd have to go through. "Thanks Will."

Cassandra filled her lungs with a strong breath and lifted up the first box to place it on the table. "Well," she exhaled and opened it up. "Let's get started."

* * *

"No, it's _this_ way."

"On the contrary, love. It's _this way_."

Giuliana and Klaus narrowed their eyes at one another as they argued over the Expression triangle they had drawn on the map of Mystic Falls while Stefan and Caroline had left to go talk with Bonnie's father. For the entire time they were gone, they fought over pretty much everything.

She snatched the ruler and pencil from him with a huff. "There's been two massacres. Pastor Young's farm is here and the old Lockwood cellar, where you spitefully slaughtered 12 of your own hybrids, is here." Giuliana used the tip of her pencil to show the dots she previously made on the map. She then used the ruler to draw a line to connect those two dots. "And, we make a triangle by doing this..." Her voice trailed off and she extended the lines from the previously drawn dots to create a triangle.

Klaus admired her handiwork, but shook his head. He held out his hand, his eyes gesturing to the ruler and pencil that were clutched in her hand. "May I?"

With a dramatic roll of her green eyes, Giuliana relinquished her hold on the drawing utensils and handed them to him, their skin brushing for just a moment.

"There are actually two places where the third massacre could be." He started and drew another two lines which formed a triangle opposite Giuliana's. The women looked at the triangles and realized she had been wrong in her first assumption.

"Well, I was just going by the book." She told him smartly. "Not all of us have had the pleasure of being alive for a thousand years and have been lucky to attend school to learn about equilateral triangles."

"You were always a smart girl," Klaus praised her.

"Maybe after this is over I'll go to school." Giuliana mused as she took up the book and read it quietly to herself. She let her fingertip mark each word she came across and Klaus watched her intently.

"I'm almost positive that schools don't offer 'Vampire Hunting 101.'" He joked and she peered up at him from over the book.

"That's too bad because it's something I'm good at." She smirked.

"That, and making dog jokes." Klaus added.

Giuliana's smirk grew wider at that. "She's a brat, Niklaus. Why do you need her around anyway?"

"All in good time, darling." He told her. "Once I'm finished here, I plan on getting out of this pathetic town."

That made Giuliana lift her eyes from the words she was reading. She placed the book down and tilted her head. "Where will you go?"

"I've got my eye on some places," he said absentmindedly.

"The more important question is, what are you looking for?" She asked and he looked curiously at her.

"Whatever could you mean by that?" Both of his eyes were trained on her as she sat down opposite him.

"Well, no one just decides to leave somewhere without having something to look for." She said and placed her chin in her hands. "So, I'm asking you what you're looking for?"

Klaus copied her position, however he made sure to look more masculine and overpowering. He leaned forward, closing the space between them and holding her gaze. "I have a friend who has everything I ever wanted. Power, loyalty, family." He told her and Giuliana could see the spark of a fire in his blue eyes. She'd always known Klaus to be a man who craved power. Even when he was a guest in her village, he made it his business to assert himself among her people. And with that power, loyalty came right along with it. People in her village respected Klaus and therefore, they were loyal to him. And like Giuliana, Klaus valued his family over all.

"Can I ask you something?" She leaned even closer and he gave her a simple nod. "My family...do you know what happened to them?" It was something she always wondered. She knew that her family had escaped that fateful night when Klaus and his siblings wreaked havoc on Alexander and the rest of the Five, but not long afterward, she'd gone to a witch with her brother's sword and was sealed in a mausoleum for years. Giuliana never knew what became of her mother and father and her beloved siblings.

"I watched over them because I didn't want Kol going after them." He told her. "I made sure Kol left Italy with Elijah and Rebekah, but I stayed."

"Even after I was gone?" She wondered.

"I guess, I was hopeful that you'd come back." Klaus smiled softly and she did too. Days turned into months, months turned into years, but Giuliana hadn't come home. "They lived for years after you had left them. They were sad years, but years nonetheless."

Giuliana nodded slowly, taking in his every word. The thought of him staying in Italy hadn't even crossed her mind, but it was nice to hear that he had the capacity to care. The two were silence, holding one another's gazes for what seemed like hours until both Caroline and Stefan came through the door. Giuliana abruptly moved away from Klaus, nearly falling off her chair and stumbling about. That earned her a curious glance from both vampires.

"Were we interrupting something?" Caroline asked the pair.

"Alas, Caroline, no." Klaus frowned. "If it was the other night, however, you -" Giuliana launched the pencil at him, making him duck suddenly.

"No, you weren't interrupting." The woman leered. "Did you guys find Bonnie?"

Stefan shook his head. "No, but we spoke to her dad. We think we found Silas."

* * *

"So, Silas is appearing as Professor Shane. Wouldn't be my first choice." Damon grumbled as he pushed aside another useless box. The couple felt as if they had been searching for hours, but their search had led them to many dead ends.

"You're saying that Silas can appear as anyone he wants?" His wife wondered aloud. "That's not reassuring at all."

"_He's appearing as Shane so he can brainwash Bonnie into committing a massacre."_Stefan replied.

"You need us to come home?" Damon asked him.

_"No, we got it. How's the cure search going?"_His brother sighed.

Damon and Cassandra exchanged a glance, winking to one another to put on their best ruse for Stefan. "Eh, not great. I mean, it's no massacre in the making, but Rebekah trailed us here."

"And that was problematic enough. I can't believe you slept with her." The hybrid scoffed disgustingly and looked through another box. Her eyes ran over the names in the filing system, looking for one in particular.

"Then in addition to our buddy being a brilliant identity thief, he's also a hoarder." He kept the phone close to his ear.

_"What are you trying to find?"_ Stefan asked them.

"From what I remember, Will had a repeat customer." Cassandra stated as her fingers flicked through the endless folds of paper. "She was a 5' 7" brunette. Will said she was a runner."

A look of realization crossed Stefan's face, however it couldn't be seen by his brother and sister-in-law. _"Katherine."_

"Dy-no-mite." The hybrid smirked as her eyes ran over Will's now familiar handwriting. "It actually turns out that I was the one helping her run."

"Ironic." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Problem is, I'm pretty sure that this filing system goes by birth date, but I can't for the life of me remember Katherine's, nor do I care when that wench was born into this world." Cassandra deadpanned.

_"June 5, 1473,"_Stefan rattled off.

"That's not creepy at all." She chimed in and picked up the box with the appropriate date they needed.

"Thank you, brother." The raven haired vampire joined her too, standing behind her and he plucked a folder from the box. "Well, will you look at that?" He opened the folder and examined the piece of paper resting just inside. "It's all her former addresses."

Cassandra took up the paper, reading it. "Some of them include a couple from the last two months. They're mostly P.O. boxes, but hey, it narrows the search."

_"Well, you're welcome. So you headed back now?"_Stefan inquired.

"Yeah, tomorrow morning. Gotta keep up the ruse for the terrible twosome outside; pretend like I'm having a good time." Damon replied sneakily and took the now folded paper from Cassandra, slipping it into the pocket on the inside of his jacket.

_"Alright.__See you two soon, but remember what I said. Don't underestimate Elena. And now that Rebekah is with you, who knows what will happen."_The couple disregarded his warning, hanging up the phone and Cassandra leaned tiredly against the edge of a file cabinet.

"Looks like we're one step closer." She grinned and pulled him closer by the lapels of his leather jacket.

"Yes, we are." Damon was beaming from ear to ear as he leaned forward, pressing his lips intimately against hers. Her hands that were gripping his jacket slid underneath it to push it off his shoulders and she ran her fingertips over his strong arms. His muscles rippled teasingly and she dragged her nails over the pale skin. Damon hissed against her lips, taking her bottom one in between his teeth and yanking. His body pressed into hers and the edges of the file cabinet dug into her skin. Cassandra let out a grunt of discomfort before sitting herself wrapping her legs around Damon's waist. He moved them to a table and he swept his hand over the surface, clearing it of boxes and papers before setting Cassandra down. She cupped the back of his neck and she eased herself to lay her back on the table, all the while, keeping their lips connected. The strums of the guitars and beating of the drums from inside the bar blared through the walls, but they couldn't be bothered with the sounds of the Runaways 2.0.

"Damon," she whimpered against his lips before they trailed along her jaw line and to her neck. He nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck and his lips brushed over the skin of her naked shoulder. Goose bumps prickled and her pulse rose as he continued his pleasurable assault on her. Little nibbles on her skin made Cassandra tilt her head, exposing more of her soft skin and Damon's tongue traced the bluish veins that carried her sweet blood. His hot breath was at her ear now and Cassandra arched her back into him.

"I need you," he hushed to her and that made Cassandra's lust skyrocket. She squirmed against him, her hands reaching for his belt buckle, but the turning of the doorknob made them both turn.

"I figured you two would be sucking face back here." Elena snickered as she entered. The two of them rolled their eyes, sighing dramatically that Elena had ruined their fun once again before sitting up.

"Actually," Damon started. "Stefan called."

Elena whined and rolled her eyes. "What does he want? He's checking in on me?"

"Of course he is," the vampire replied. "He's my brother. Did you expect any less?"

"Well, what did you tell him?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"We told him that we were handling things." Cassandra found her voice again and hopped off the table, adjusting her shirt on her. "But, we still have to tell you the rest of the story." Damon casted a sideways glance to Cassandra and she nodded before ushering Elena out of the room and back into the main bar.

"Come on, the suspense is killing me." Elena remarked sarcastically as she flagged down a bartender for a drink.

"Fine," Cassandra sighed. "Lexi stuck with me for months: she was partying with me, showing me a good time, but late every night, she'd torture me in the worst possible way."

"How?" The vampire asked her.

"She'd constantly ask me questions about why I flipped my switch off and I never really told her." She explained. "I didn't even really think I knew, but night after night she'd torture me with a game of 20 questions."

_Lips mashed together wildly as Cassandra plunged her fingers in Troy's hair. He pressed her against the bar roughly and squeezed her hips teasingly. This had been a nightly thing with the two of them. Ever since Damon started flaunting his meals at Billy's, Cassandra started keeping up with him. She knew Troy had taken an obvious liking to her and she took full advantage of that. Troy was a good friend of hers, but she'd hardly think of him as anything more. Right now, he was just a fuck buddy to her. If she had a__conscience__or her emotions switched on, they would be telling her that it was morally wrong, but she could give a shit. Troy hooked a hand under her leg, propping her thigh to rest around his waist as he slipped his tongue into her mouth._

_A loud knocking on the bar made them stop and turn. Damon stood there, smirk and all and he waved the bottle around. Cassandra gritted her teeth and Troy growled quite loudly, the both of them wishing they could snap Damon's neck._

_"Oh, sorry. Were you two in the middle of something?" He asked them innocently and they both rolled their eyes._

_"Yes,__we__were actually." Troy replied and tilted Cassandra's head back, taking a nibble or two at her neck._

_"Where's Lexi? She's late." Cassandra groaned as she cupped the back of Troy's head._

_"I'm on flip duty tonight," Damon replied. "Lexi didn't tell you?"_

_"I don't recall." She sighed as Troy's lips trailed over her collarbone._

_"That's because Troy probably had his tongue down your throat." He snickered evilly and Troy lifted his head, narrowing his eyes at Damon._

_"Hey, step off man!" Troy snarled, making his way over to the raven haired vampire._

_Damon delivered a tough shove to Troy who stumbled back. "Actually, you step off. We're training here."_

_"Yeah and you think I'm okay with you training her?" The vampire grumbled. "I see the way you look at her." Damon swallowed a lump in his throat as he saw that Cassandra was catching pieces of their argument. "Get your own."_

_Damon's hand quickly found Troy's throat and the two vampires were ready to brawl when Cassandra pushed Damon off him._

_"Will you two knock it off?!" She hissed._

_Both Troy and Damon pointed at the other. "He started it!"_

_Cassandra rolled her eyes, sighing. "Men. A disgusting species."_

_"No need to be bitter, babe." Troy wagged a finger at her and gave her a quick kiss. "I'm blowing this joint. Meet me up later?"_

_"Don't I always?" She winked at him and he promptly left, but not before throwing a glare to Damon._

_"Well, he is charming." He quipped with a smirk._

_"Enough." She huffed and snatched the bottle from him. "Let's get this started."_

_"Okay," Damon clicked his teeth and watched as Cassandra hopped up on the pool table, drinking a more than healthy helping of bourbon. "Now, why did you flip your switch?"_

_"Jeez, you have to follow her lesson plan? I thought you were creative, Damon." She whined._

_"What do you want me to do, Cass? Tap dance for you?" He narrowed his gaze at her._

_"You could do something different. Maybe that's why I'm not making any progress." Cassandra mused._

_"You're not making progress because you chose not to make progress." He told her. "I know that you're just jerking Lexi's chain. You don't really want to change."_

_"Why would I want to change when everything for me is going so well?" She shrugged._

_"Is it really?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "You sleep with any guy who gives you the slightest amount of attention and suck down some druggies. You're a shell, Cassandra. This isn't you."_

_"Maybe you don't know what I'm like when I'm not in love with you." She hit him with that bomb and Damon might as well had been blown away. "Think about it, Damon. When we were humans, I was infatuated with you and when we became vampires, we grew apart but those feelings didn't go away. At least for me they didn't."_

_"Well, maybe if you hadn't-" Damon suddenly stopped and looked back at Cassandra who was kicking her legs on the edge of the pool table. She smiled softly and placed the bottle down, wiping some bourbon off the corner of her mouth. Her entire disposition changed completely. Her eyes no longer held that venom and poison Damon had grown so accustomed to and for the first time since he saw her in New York, she looked like her old self._

_"The switch. You flipped it." He hushed and moved to stand between her legs. "Why didn't you tell me?"_

_"Because I barely felt it at first, but every night, it's gotten stronger. It worked." She told him and cupped his cheeks lovingly. "Damon, you worked. Being here with you brought back a lot of memories and I...I love you." The blue eyed vampire thought he might just die where he stood hearing Cassandra's sweet confession, but his brain completely stopped working when she brought his lips to hers._

"So, that's it then?" Elena tilted her head. "True love broke the spell?"

"Well, not at first." Cassandra smirked.

_They moved their make-out session up to the roof and Damon had Cassandra lying on a blanket surrounded by candles. Some party goers would come up to the rooftop to have more intimate gatherings, hence the candles, but for now it was just the two of them locked in a passionate embrace. He couldn't believe that she had manage to flip her switch and that it was all because of him. He was practically itching to tell Lexi that he had told her that her stupid cleansing method wouldn't work. Feeling her lips upon his was something he always wished for every time he saw her throughout the years. He missed her and his heart ached when he would see her with other men._

_Their kiss broke and Damon made the same trail Troy had made earlier, hoping to extinguish his taste from her skin. His hands slid up the front of her shirt and Cassandra let out a string of harmonious giggles. Damon chuckled against her neck and ghosted his fingertips down her sides, making her laugh even more._

_"What's so funny?" He asked her, amusement playing in his voice before dancing his tongue up and down her neck._

_Cassandra kept giggling for a few moments until she managed to calm them. "It's funny because," another giggle fit hit her and Damon found himself wanting to tickle her till the end of time, just to hear her laughs that he'd been deprived of over the years. Once she stopped her giggles, she spoke again. "I'm laughing because you actually believed me."_

_That hit Damon like a runaway train. His body stiffened and he moved away from her neck, withdrawing his hands from her. She lied. She actually lied to him about flipping her switch. She smirked triumphantly up at him and sat up._

_"Fooled you, didn't I?" Cassandra bit her bottom lip, trying to hold in her laughter._

_"You sneaky son of a-"_

_"Aww, did I hurt your feelings, Damon?" She pouted dramatically and pretended to wipe fake tears from her eyes._

_"You lied, Cassandra." He growled at her._

_"Well, I told you and Lexi to stop fixing me." She shoved him off her and stood. "You deserved it."_

_"No one deserves to be lied to." He was so livid that he could swear he felt smoke leaving his ears._

_"Oh, please! You're one to talk about lying and hurting other people." She grumbled. "What about Miss Katherine? Remember her? Well, she turned you against me! If she didn't come along, we would have lived out our existence. She ruined everything and it kills me that you...loved her!" She was ranting now, her anger was slowly rising and Damon could see that perhaps he'd be able to get to her through her rage._

_"Yeah! I did love her, but that's only because you left!" He shouted._

_"I left?!" Her voice rose an octave or two. "She killed me and compelled you to forget me!"_

_"You could have come back!" Damon was in her face now._

_"I did and each time I came I made you forget me!" She shouted at him._

_"Why?" He growled._

_"Because I was afraid!"_

_"Of what?"_

_"Of falling in love with you all over again!" Her reply stunned Damon to his core. "I realized a while ago that we could never be the way we were and I have finally come to terms with that."_

_"So, you flipped the switch." Damon was backing off now, seeing that he had angered her enough to get it out of her._

_Cassandra nodded slowly, biting her lower lip and growling. "Are you happy now? You know that you're the reason why I don't like feeling anymore?"_

_Damon's face fell, but he still kept a strong stance. "Well, you're wrong."_

_"Oh, really?" She glared._

_"Yeah," Damon nodded. "I'm not happy that I caused you to flip your switch. I want you to turn it back on."_

_"No!"_

_"Yes!"_

_"No! I won't do it and you can't make me!" She pushed him away from her, but he held her wrists. Damon could see the slightest trace of tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. He was close to breaking her down. He just needed to push her a little more. He unhanded her wrists gently and cupped her cheek. She looked questioningly up at him._

_"Do you remember when you'd sneak out your house to come see me?" He asked and she nodded quietly. "How about when I'd chase you through the gardens?" Again she nodded her head and Damon smiled softly, moving closer to her. His eyes softened and Cassandra could see the very face of the young man she fell in love with all that time ago."I want you to remember it all, Cassandra. I want you to remember how much I loved you." He then pressed his lips to hers and he felt her body lock up, but he didn't let her pull away from him._

"And the moral of the story is?" Elena knocked back another beer.

"Are you really that insensitive?" Cassandra slammed her hand down on the bar. "We're all trying to help you."

"And like you told Damon back in the seventies. I don't want or need your help." She slipped off her stool and pushed her way into the crowd of dancers. Cassandra felt helpless as she just let Elena walk away.

Damon placed a reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder and kissed behind her ear. "Come with me."

She turned and gave him a curious look. "Hmm?"

"Just follow me." He took her hand and tugged her to the back of the bar where an old wrought iron staircase was.

* * *

Stefan, Klaus, and Giuliana watched in horror as Caroline snapped the neck of the witch that was with Bonnie. After searching endlessly for the sight of the third and final massacre, they found the twelve witches gathered around Bonnie as they tried to free her from Silas's mind control. However, they could see that Bonnie was long gone and then the main witch Aja, planned to kill her. Caroline couldn't bear to stand by and watch her friend get murdered, so she acted.

Aja crumpled to her knees, her neck hanging limply at a strange angle. The fire in the torches placed in the ground were extinguished along with the head witch and Caroline looked too see the other eleven witches fell to their death. Each one of them were connected with Aja to draw power in order to help Bonnie. All of them were dead. Caroline rushed to Bonnie, lightly smacking her cheeks in an effort to wake her up.

Bonnie's eyes snapped open, they were completely milky white and an eerie smile graced her lips. "The triangle is complete."

* * *

"I haven't been up here in years," Cassandra spoke as she wandered up onto the rooftop.

"Well, I figured the two of us needed some time to ourselves." He walked up behind her, placing his hands onto her shoulders and lightly squeezing. She let out a long sigh as Damon kneaded her tense muscles. "Even if it's just for a little while."

"I know. I just wish I could get through to her before she realizes what happens when she switches her switch back on." She murmured. "You remember that night, don't you?"

Damon's lips pressed into her shoulder, kissing along her soft skin. "Of course I do. I remember it all."

_Once she came to her senses, Cassandra pushed Damon off her. Her fingertips danced over her lips which were still tingling from his kiss. She felt something different inside her, she couldn't put her finger on it, but she could feel it. She looked back at Damon who was watching her with soft eyes. She was falling and he knew it._

_"I...I have to go," she whimpered and quickly sidestepped him._

_"Cass, please!" He tried to stop her but she just pushed past him._

_"Just leave me alone, Damon." Cassandra murmured in a trance before flashing off the rooftop. She wandered the streets alone and just kept walking until Damon's voice could no longer be heard. The concrete clicked underneath her heels and the streets were quiet as she walked along them. When Damon kissed her, she felt something snap deep inside her. She didn't expect his sweet words to get to her, but she found that they were quickly infecting her brain like a parasite. But, she was Cassandra Emerson. She didn't care about anything, so why should she bother to start now?_

_A pang of pain in her chest halted her movements and her hand raised up to clasp over her heart. Was she dying? Was she having a heart attack? She never had one, but the pain she was feeling was unexplainable. It ached and throbbed and burned all at the same time. With a growl, she pushed it aside and kept walking, eager to get home but the pain came back with a vengeance. It was much sharper this time and she actually let out a groan. It was overwhelming how strong this level of pain was and it scared Cassandra when it was becoming so bad that she couldn't breathe._

_"What...what is happening to me?" She was gasping for air on the streets of New York, but no one was around to hear or help her. Flashes of her past skewed her vision and blood spatters danced behind her eyelids. It was too much for her to handle. The memories, the pain, the anger. She had kept it all inside for so long and the shaky gates of her humanity were now open._

_Cassandra flashed to her apartment and threw open the door. She stumbled inside and dropped to her knees. She was sobbing now, hot tears falling down her cheeks as the pain in her heart became increasingly worse. She saw all of the unspeakably horrid things she'd done to innocent people and it disgusted her that she had managed to sink so low. Her switch was now back on and it was becoming impossible to shut off. For the first time in so long, she felt things. She felt raw and real emotions that had been absent from her life. She threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping she'd scream so loud and so hard that she'd pass out from the stress of it, but she was still conscious. Cassandra yanked her hair in frustration, unable to make the pain stop. Her watery brown eyes lifted to the doorway and she saw Damon standing there. He was staring at her in shock and for a moment, she thought that he was a figment of her imagination._

_"Damon," she cried. He immediately ran to get into her apartment, but the invitation barrier was stopping him from doing so._

_"Let me in, Cassandra. Let me help you." He begged, his hands curling around the edge of the doorframe. She couldn't speak. The pain was so intense that she had lost the ability to speak. Damon's eyes were pleading with her as he tested the barrier again._

_"C...come in." As soon as those two breathy words left her lips, Damon's strong arms engulfed her shaking form._

_"Shh, it's okay." Damon rocked her back and forth. "I've got you."_

_"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She sobbed into his chest and held him tightly. "I didn't...I didn't mean to do all those things. I just lost it."_

_"I know, Cassandra. I forgive you." He combed his fingers through her hair in an effort to calm her down._

_"I can't, I can't, I can't!" She screamed and fought his hold on her but he kept her close._

_"Yes, you can. You're okay, Cassandra." Damon told her softly._

_For a while he held her while she cried. She was so broken and shattered to pieces that Damon wasn't sure he'd be able to put her back together again, but he would do it for her. Cassandra kept apologizing for the evil she'd done and she couldn't stop the memories of each kill from coming to her. She clenched her eyes shut, hoping that they'd go away, but she wasn't so lucky. She sobbed so hard that her voice was hoarse and her red, puffy eyes had squeezed out all of her tears. It seemed like forever, but Cassandra's cries finally calmed and all that could be heard were her tiny sniffles and whimpers._

"I have you to thank for bringing me back." She turned in his hold and cupped his neck.

"I had to, Cassandra. I knew I loved you and I wanted you back." Damon beamed, lightly kissing her forehead.

Cassandra leaned back so their eyes met. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Well, I try." He smirked pulled her closer. His thumb ran underneath her bottom lip before pressing his lips to hers. It was just like that night he helped her flip her switch. The air was cool and thick with his musk, the sky was speckled with bright stars and the candles that lined the rooftop were glowing warmly. Cassandra smiled against his lips, pulling him closer and winding her fingers in his dark hair. It was seldom that they shared nice moments like these, so it was imperative that they took them whenever they could get them.

A sudden rush of wind made them break apart and look around. Someone was watching them. Damon wiped around when he felt a prickle on the back of his neck, but was met with no one there. Someone pushed him forward and flew towards Cassandra, snapping her neck before coming back to Damon and snapping his.

"Well, that was easy." Rebekah grinned and rubbed her hands together.

"Took you long enough." Elena bent down and picked through Damon's pockets.

Rebekah's grin melted away, "Excuse you. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be chasing your tail."

"Whatever," the baby vampire plucked a piece of paper from his pocket and examined it. "I just want to derail them long enough, so I can get the cure and get rid of it. I told you that Stefan is like a dog with a bone. He wants to fix me and unfortunately, Damon and Cassandra are on his bandwagon."

"And once you get the cure, you'll give it to me, right?" The blonde asked her.

"I told you that we'd have a deal." Elena smirked, pocketing the paper and standing up. "Have a nice nap, you two." With that, both vampires disappeared off into the night.

* * *

"There," Klaus shoved the end of his shovel into the dirt. "Twelve graves for twelve witches. Like it never happened. Only it did happen, and now Silas has everything he needs to open the gates to Hell on earth."

"You can't be angry with Caroline, Klaus." Giuliana shook her head and dusted some dirt off her clothes. "She was trying to save her best friend. She couldn't just let Bonnie die."

"I know that arithmetic isn't your strong point, but one is still less than twelve." He told her.

Giuliana glared outwardly at him. "I forgot that I'm talking to someone who kills without a thought."

"Do you fully understand the weight of what will happen now?" Klaus was in front of her now.

"Yes, I do." She nodded. "Silas can bring back my brother."

A hand was curled around Giuliana's throat, not hard enough to choke her, but firm enough to keep her there. "You are selfish, you know that?"

"Looks like we're not so different after all." She smirked and he unhanded her. "You're just as selfish for wanting the cure to kill Silas. I know that it was my brother's mission to kill him, but if I can get a chance to see my brother again, I'd take it."

"Thank you," a new voice made them turn to see Professor Shane standing in the clearing with them. This didn't make any sense, he had died on the island. "Of the three massacres, this is the one I was dreading." In that moment, Klaus and Giuliana knew that they weren't talking to Professor Shane, they were speaking with someone much more sinister.

"Silas, I presume." Klaus greeted.

* * *

Normally, Cassandra and Damon were accustomed to waking up to the sounds of chirping birds in the morning. However, this time they were awakened by the honking of horns and excited chatter on the city streets below. They turned over onto their sides, sitting up and massaging their necks.

"God dammit," Cassandra groaned, rotating her neck around to get the kinks out.

"Man, this sucks." Damon added and pulled out his phone, dialing Elena.

_"Morning, Damon."_ The young vampire greeted happily.

"Where are you?" He asked her with a growl.

Elena looked over the piece of paper she'd stolen from Damon. _"The better question would be, where are we going?"_

_"Sorry, Damon. I think I broke your radio."_ Rebekah called into the speaker.

"You're in my car?!" Damon snarled and Cassandra jumped, rubbing her temples.

_"We weren't gonna take the bus."_ Elena told him. _"I wish this could have gone differently, I really do, but we'll give Katherine your best."_ With that, she hung up and the dial tone from Damon's phone was ringing in the air.

"She's lost it." Cassandra chimed in.

"They're in my car!" The raven haired vampire shouted. It was Cassandra's turn to pull out her phone and she called Stefan.

"We have a problem." She stated.

_"Do I want to hear this?"_ They could both hear the disdain in Stefan's voice.

"Elena and Rebekah gave us the slip and left our asses in New York." The hybrid told him. "We had a lead on Katherine and those two stole it."

_"Well, since we're throwing pity parties, I didn't stop the massacre."_ Both Damon and Cassandra exchanged a worried glance hearing that.

"Guess Silas has everything he needs," Damon murmured.

_"Everything but the cure."_ Stefan sighed.

"Okay, listen carefully, Stef. On the dresser by the front door is a set of keys to my Jeep. Drive that to New York to pick us up and I swear, if I see one dent on my car, you're dead."

* * *

"I'm sorry, mate." Klaus patted his pockets. "Don't have it."

Shane smiled, quite widely. "But you know who does, and the last thing you want is for that cure to be used on you, so you bring it to me, and it won't be. You get to live."

"Yeah. With all of my dead supernatural enemies from the Other Side. You know, you don't scare me, Silas, or Shane, or whoever you are." Klaus growled, sizing up the man before him.

"Well, you should be scared." Shane told him confidently before looking to Giuliana who hadn't said a word. "You aren't the hunter who made it to my tomb."

"No, not quite." She shook her head. "I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I don't trust people who hide behind a mask."

"Smart girl." He chuckled slightly and stepped closer to her. "With a smart mouth." He quickly flashed behind Giuliana, holding her in a chokehold.

"Klaus!" She reached out for the hybrid, but Shane yanked her back roughly, holding her arm behind her.

"Easy there. Wouldn't want to do anything you'd regret, eh?" He bent her arm back, hearing it snap and Giuliana let out a scream.

"Let her go, Silas!" Klaus proclaimed.

Hot tears ran down Giuliana's face as Shane laughed in her ear. "You see that? He still manages to care."

"Silas!" The hybrid snarled and Shane shoved the girl forward into Klaus's arms. He held her close, being mindful of her now broken arm.

"See Klaus, I know that you're not scared of me, but I know what scares you." Shane pulled out the white oak stake from inside his jacket.

Klaus's eyes were wide as he watched him carefully. "Now, where did you get that?"

"Well, let's just say I scared your sister and Cassandra back on the island. It was practically a cakewalk getting this from Cassandra." He twirled the stake around. "So, care to reconsider my offer?" Klaus let go of Giuliana and flashed forward to meet Shane, but in seconds, he was gone. The hybrid looked around the clearing, his nerves slightly wearing thin. He walked back to Giuliana who was cradling her arm and bit his wrist.

"Drink. Now" He commanded and pressed the wound to her lips, making sure she swallowed a few sips before pulling back. She could feel his blood working to repair the broken bones and Klaus took her by her shoulders, staring into her eyes. "You listen to me, get out of here now. Run as fast as you can."

"But-"

"Giuliana, you have to-" Klaus screamed out as Shane appeared behind him, shoving the white oak stake into his back.

"I missed by an inch, but don't worry. I'm not trying to kill you, not just yet." Shane explained.

"Run, Giuliana!" Klaus begged with her and she took a few careful steps back before turning on her heel and darting through the clearing. Shane then broke off the white oak stake, leaving a piece of the tip stuck inside his back.

"Just a little something to remember me by." The professor retracted the stake and patted Klaus on the shoulder. "I'll be in touch." As Shane walked leisurely from the clearing, Klaus remained kneeling on the ground, alone and groaning in pain.

* * *

**So, Silas is in Mystic Falls and already stirring up trouble! Looks like Elena and Rebekah gave our favorite newlyweds the slip and are now going on their own cure search. Please review to see what happens next! **

**grapejuice101: I feel like every episode of TVD is intense! I love it so much! Thanks so much for the review!**

**21angle: Hehe, I agree! Elena is a brat ;) Thank you for reviewing!**

**xoxobianca13: Thanks for reviewing! Damon and Cassandra are the cutest! So wish that she was in the show! Damon needs a strong woman in his life!**

**shippolove844: Thank you for the review! Hope you enjoyed reading about Cassandra's past even though it is a dark one.**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Elena and Bex are making things complicated and it sucks! Damon and Cassandra need a well deserved vacation ;) Thanks for posting a review and hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Tvdlover87654: Thank you for reviewing! Well, Rebekah and Elena are certainly being selfish and they believe that Damon and Cassandra are working in Stefan's interests. Perhaps they'll find out about Damon's and Cassandra's real want for finding the cure. Hope you like this update!**

**Lycan Lover 411: Thanks for the review, girl! Cassandra meeting Will was certainly interesting! And I can't take credit for the "You got Lexi'd" phrase. I'd have to give credit to the writers for that one hehe! I agree about Elena being like Katherine. I think Nina Dobrev does an exceptional job playing both characters, but I do think the writers wanted Elena to be kinda like a Katherine 2.0. And I do love Elena's hair cut - made me want to get the same one! Hope you enjoyed this update!**

**sweetdreams705: Hey! That's totally okay if you haven't reviewed lately! I know that sometimes life and school gets in the way with me and I have to play catch up when reading other stories! The "American Gothic" episode was a great one! Unless you're talking about the prom one that passed. I honestly love the entire show and I can't decide on a favorite episode! But thanks so, so much for reviewing :D**

**klandgraf2007: Thank you for reviewing! Glad you liked the chapter and the flashbacks! Hope you enjoyed this update! **


	23. American Gothic

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 23: American Gothic**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

****If you reviewed the last chapter - take a look at the bottom! I've replied to them :)****

* * *

"If they so much as even scratched the paint on my car…" Damon grumbled as he lugged a gas canister in each hand down the road. Stefan had driven to New York, while keeping Cassandra's Jeep scratch-free to pick up the stranded couple.

"Well, just be grateful Sheriff Forbes was able to track down the car after you let them, ah, you know, steal it from you." Stefan jeered. He was just having way too much fun rubbing in his brother's and sister-in-law's faces that a baby vampire managed to leave them in the dust.

"Remind me to send her some mini-muffins. Do we really need 10 gallons of gas, or are you making me just lug this around as punishment?" Damon scoffed and placed the canisters onto the ground beside his beloved Camaro.

"Well, they ditched your car after it ran out of fuel. You gotta fill it up. Got a hundred miles before we get to Willoughby," Stefan explained.

"Wait, Willoughby?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember that name from the list of places I got from New York."

"Oh, the list? The list they stole from right under your nose, after you two let your guard down?" The younger Salvatore received nothing but glares from the couple. "They'll be there. Sheriff Forbes tracked down the car they stole after yours."

Damon flipped open the gas tank of his car and placed the nozzle of the canister inside. "Screw the muffins. I'll get her champagne—if Elena is wherever it may be."

"Willoughby. Creamed corn capital of Pennsylvania. They'll be there." Stefan told them.

"Well, that sounds like the most boring town ever." Cassandra mumbled under her breath.

"Let's just hope we get to them before they get to the cure." Stefan noted.

"Ooh, silver lining: if Rebekah takes the cure, then she's mortal and we can just kill her right then and there." Damon's eyes twinkled at the chance to out Rebekah.

"Ooh, dark cloud: Elena stays a vampire forever."

"Damn," she kicked the dirt road beneath her. "Way to take the fun out of a birthday cake, Stefan."

"Look, why don't you two just table the revenge fantasies for now, and just keep your eye on the prize. Find Katherine, get the cure, get out before you both get your necks snapped—again." The younger Salvatore barked.

"Believe me, we learned our lesson. Elena without humanity is a stone-cold bitch, and I won't trust her until we get the old Elena back." Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest.

* * *

Klaus let out another strangled groan as he was feverishly trying to get the piece of white oak stake out of his back. He was broken out in a hot sweat and that only made it harder to claw at his skin. All night he'd been working to remove it, but he was just out of reach. The wound burned and throbbed painfully and he peered at it in a mirror. He racked his short nails over the skin, scratching his own flesh off in attempts to get it out. The soft click of heels walking through his house, drawing his attention to the young woman who made her presence known.

"Klaus, we need to talk." Giuliana announced, but her breath caught when Klaus moaned out in pain. "What happened to you?"

"Silas. He attacked me. He stabbed me with the white oak stake. A piece of it—is still inside me." He told her through gritted teeth.

Her green eyes went wide as she came closer to him. "Oh my god, Klaus, that could kill you."

The Original hybrid laughed humorlessly at that. "Well, I certainly feel like I'm dying." His back suddenly arched as a sharp pain shot up his back and Giuliana surged forward.

"Hey," she gently reached for his face and stroked his cheeks soothingly. Klaus knew that no words of comfort could extract the piece from his back, but Giuliana's cool and gentle touch was certainly taking his mind off the excruciating pain.

"Giuliana," he whispered.

"Shh, don't speak." She placed a finger over his lips. "As much as I would love to watch you die, you still haven't found me that cure." She told him darkly and Klaus shoved her away, knowing that this was all a trick.

"Silas!" He growled and fell to the floor in pain.

Giuliana smirked widely, wiping Klaus's sweat off her hands onto her jeans. "That's right. Last night I looked like Shane, today I look like Giuliana, and tomorrow—who knows?"

"Show me your real face," Klaus hissed heatedly.

"Now why would I do that when I can look like whomever I want you to see?" She took slow steps closer to him and he cowered back in fear. "Resist me all you want, Klaus, but until you bring me the cure I will bring you nothing but misery."

In the blink of an eye, Giuliana was gone and Klaus was left wondering if what happened was really Silas visiting him, or a hallucination caused by the piece of white oak stake that was wedged in his back.

* * *

Giuliana grumbled incoherently to herself as she opened the front door of the Mikaelson manor. At times, she really hated being in this town because her phone always seemed to be ringing off the hook and disturbing her sleep. "I got your 50 thousand messages! This better be life and death!" She called into the house and there seemed to be no answer until she heard a gruff voice ordering her to go away.

"Klaus? Where are you?" She asked aloud and tried to follow where his voice came from even though he barely spoke for a moment. She rounded the corner to see Klaus shirtless and sitting on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest.

"I said, go away." He repeated.

"What happened to you?" She took in his appearance, knowing immediately that something was wrong with him.

"I need more time. Stop hounding me!" Klaus shouted at her loudly and that made her jump back a little.

"I'm hounding you?" She bit back. "I came here because you called me and now you're pushing me away?"

Klaus's blue eyes softened as he looked up at her. "Giuliana. Is it really you?" The woman wrinkled her nose and Klaus shakily rose to his feet. "Prove it to me."

"Okay, look, I don't know if you just want me here to keep you company from that mutt, Hayley, but if you don't want me here, I suppose I'll leave." She shrugged and Klaus knew that he wasn't talking to one of Silas's tricks. As she turned to leave, he called out to her weakly.

"Wait, please. Silas. He stabbed me with the white oak stake." He told her and she turned back to him. "There's a piece of it stuck inside me."

"Why would Silas attack you?" She asked.

"Well, I was in no position to ask questions. Suffice it to say, I'm hurt. So you can understand why I called you." He explained.

"You think I'm the person to call for help?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Bear in mind that if I die, your descendent and all of her friends die with me." He growled and Giuliana knew that she had to help him if she wanted her lineage to survive.

"What do you want me to do?" She just hated being dragged into these kinds of situations.

Klaus straightened up and Giuliana could see his muscles glistening from the thin layer of sweat that coated his body. "Well, it's quite simple, really. I need you to cut the stake out of me." Klaus cast his sight downward at a pair of bloody pliers that lay forgotten on the floor and Giuliana felt her stomach turn.

* * *

"Something's not right. Katherine Pierce does not hole up in Hickstown, PA." Damon said as he walked down the street.

"Well, this is definitely the car they stole." Stefan pointed to the car Sheriff Forbes had told them about. "We're in the right place."

"Points to them for their choice of vehicles." Damon grumbled.

"So, let me ask you two something. What happens when we find Elena? How do we get her back to Mystic Falls? I mean, she's not exactly gonna go quietly, and she has an Original vampire as her bodyguard." Stefan asked and Cassandra stopped walking down the street.

"We'll do what we have to do, Stefan." She turned to face him. "I don't care if I have to push Rebekah in front of a bus and drag Elena back by her pink streaks."

Stefan let out a dramatic sigh. "I'm serious."

"So are we. I don't care what Elena wants right now. She's been a royal pain in the ass and I'm tired of playing babysitter." The female hybrid huffed.

"So, what happened to the girl who thought Elena should embrace being a vampire? Or the girl who said she'd stand by her friend, no matter what." Cassandra's fists clenched tightly, her fingernails biting into her palms.

"She and her husband got their necks snapped in New York and they are royally pissed off." She growled and continued walking. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her and Damon's secret about planning to take the cure for themselves. Cassandra knew that Stefan would be angry with them, but she felt that Elena didn't deserve the cure - not after what she's done. The hybrid caught a whiff of two familiar scents that wafted into the air and she followed her nose to a quaint diner on the corner of the street. Through the window, she spied both Rebekah and Katherine having a less than civil conversation in a booth. The trio sauntered in and made their way to the booth, glaring at the two women.

"Ladies, playing nice?" Stefan smirked and Damon plopped into the opposite side of the booth where Rebekah and Katherine were sitting. The blonde Original let go of Katherine's broken hand and she cradled it to her chest.

"There goes the neighborhood." The younger vampire deadpanned and looked to Cassandra who was still standing. "And if it isn't our favorite trophy wife. How's married life treating you?"

"You're losing your touch, Kat." Cassandra tsked and Damon wrapped a hand around her waist, pulling her down into the booth with him. "We missed you at the wedding and so did Klaus. Or are you still running from him?" Katherine's face hardened and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Where's Elena?" Stefan looked to Rebekah, but she didn't answer him.

* * *

The Original hybrid shuddered in pain once more as he felt the white oak splinters edging slowly towards his heart. He wasn't sure for how much longer he could take the pain. Giuliana had worked on wedging the pliers into the wound, but blood started to pour down his muscular back, so she left to get some towels to clean him up. The dried blood crackled and stretched over his skin, another stab of pain coursing through his body.

"Now you know what it feels like," Klaus peered out of the corner of his eye to see Cassandra sitting in his parlor, staring into the fire. "To practically feel yourself dying." The hybrid stumbled over to her, blinking his eyes rapidly to see if she'd vanish, but she turned her head to face him.

"You're not real," he wagged a finger at her and she smiled.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She stood and took a few steps toward him, but he backed away. "Klaus, you're burning up," she frowned and lightly touched his face, dabbing some sweat off his warm skin.

Klaus pushed her away, much like he'd done with Silas when he was impersonating Giuliana before. "You stay away from me!"

"But, I'm trying to help you." Cassandra advanced on him, lightly touching his upper arm but he swatted her away.

"No! Get out of my head!" He snarled.

"Klaus-"

The hybrid suddenly grabbed Cassandra and threw her to the wall with a rough shove. He heard the drywall crumble under her back and a long crack zigzagged up the wall. The female hybrid just smirked, seeming to be unfazed by his display of power and tsked.

"Temper, temper. No wonder you never got the girl." She teased and Klaus now knew that Silas was toying with him once more. He held her throat tightly, squeezing and leaning into her closely.

"You're just in my head." He told her.

"Maybe so, but you know I'm right." She grinned and gripped the hand holding her throat. With almost no effort, she twisted it and broke his wrist, making him hiss through his teeth. "You know it and I know it that you ruined your chances with Cassandra."

"Enough!" He walked away from her, but Cassandra was in front of him, blocking his path.

"You are meant to live a life alone with no one to love you." She spoke and he clenched his fists. "And until you get me that cure, I'll continue to remind you that your life has no meaning."

"I said, enough!" Klaus shouted at the top of his lungs, but the illusion in front of him just kept that wry grin on her face.

"Klaus?" The hybrid looked over his shoulder to see Giuliana standing in the doorway holding some towels. She heard him screaming at no one, so she rushed in to see what was wrong. Thinking that it was another one of Silas's tricks, he flashed in front of her and pressed her body into the doorframe.

"Leave me alone!" He hissed and wrapped his fingers around her throat.

"Kl...Klaus, you're hurting me!" The girl rasped as she desperately tried to loosen his hold on her.

"Just leave me be to die alone!" His vampire face was out now, his hot breath ghosted over Giuliana's lips and if she could disappear back into the wall, she would. "You are a coward! Changing your masks like a game! Show me your real face, Silas!"

Giuliana's eyes went wide, "Silas? I'm...I'm not Silas." She shook her head. "Klaus, it's me. It's Giuliana. Silas isn't here, but I am." It was a desperate plea to get him to let go of her, but she was quickly running out of air. The Original hybrid examined each and every inch of her face to tell if she was lying, but once he recognized that her green eyes were filled with compassion and not hate, he slowly let go of her. She leaned back against the wall, passing her fingertips over her bruised neck and took in some deep breaths. Klaus backed away from her and his eyes were locked on his large hands, almost unable to fathom that he nearly choked someone to death.

* * *

Rebekah licked some powdered sugar off her fingertips before clearing her throat. "So let me get this straight: I tell you where Elena is, you shove the cure down her throat, and then I end up in a box, right? I don't think so."

"As tempting as it sounds to lock you up in a coffin - we don't even have any daggers." Cassandra told her. "We want the cure for Elena and-"

"Now, that's not really the story, is it?" The blonde raised an eyebrow and Cassandra bit her lip, casting an awkward glance to Stefan.

Damon shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat, moving the attention away from Cassandra. "What about you over there, smiley?" He nodded to Katherine who was pouting, but she seemed interested in what Rebekah and Cassandra were talking about. "Do you know where she is?"

Katherine leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. "I can give you a hint. Start by looking at the town morgue. She's probably dead." Everyone at the table remained quiet, waiting for her to finish. "She went to meet up with a friend of mine. You may know him—an Original brother, impeccable taste."

Rebekah's once smug expression turned to one of horror. "Elijah."

"Elijah's here?" Cassandra asked.

"Well, you sort of have to question Elijah's impeccable taste if he's friends with you." Stefan snickered.

"Oh, when I say friend, I mean _friend_." Katherine smirked and everyone at the table let out a groan of disgust.

"So much for enjoying my breakfast," Cassandra bellyached and pushed her plate forward.

"It probably took him about 10 seconds to realize that she wasn't me, at which point he probably yanked her heart right out of her chest." Katherine explained.

Stefan leaned forward now, eye to eye with brunette vampire. "Alright. Where are they?" Katherine simply smiled and didn't reply. "Rebekah, you do realize if something should happen to Elena, you have no chance of finding the cure, right?" He looked to the blonde Original.

"Fine. They were supposed to meet at the gazebo by the park." She sighed.

"I'll go talk to Elijah." Stefan rose from the booth.

Rebekah did too. "You go deal with Elijah. Katherine will take us to the cure."

"No, she won't." Katherine shook her head. "The cure is my one chance to win my freedom back from Klaus."

"You're gonna broker a deal with Klaus?" Damon asked her.

"No. She's gonna get Elijah to broker the deal for her. That's why you need your little friend, isn't it?" Stefan looked to the vampire. "Some things never change, Katherine."

"Nope," Damon and Cassandra deadpanned.

Katherine frowned, pursing her lips. "Fine. Move." She told Rebekah, but the blonde was unmoving. "You have to follow me."

* * *

Giuliana scrunched up her nose as she dug deeper into the open wound in Klaus's back. He was bracing himself against the piano, his hands crushing the wood while he felt the tips of the pliers search around for the piece of white oak stake. The woman squinted her eyes, trying not to look at the blood, muscle and bone that was in front of her, but she promised Klaus that she'd help him. Her stomach lurched as she moved the pliers and a squishing sound emitted from the wound. An abnormal piece of something stuck out at her and she used the pliers to grip it. She yanked slightly, but halted hearing Klaus snarl through gritted teeth.

"That's my rib!" He told her.

She removed the pliers from his bloody rib and continued to search around. "Payback for choking me."

"I'm glad you're finding my misery so amusing." He hissed and gripped the piano tighter.

"Oh, please! I'd rather be doing other things that don't include playing "Operation" and looking for a piece of stake that's not here." She grumbled.

"You can't even get your hands a little dirty for me. Here I thought we were becoming friends." Klaus chuckled over his shoulder at her and she glared.

"You wish." Unbeknownst to her, she dug the pliers in a little too deep which sent Klaus into a fit of shouts and curses. His hands bashed the top of the piano and Giuliana quickly pulled back.

"That hurt!" He roared.

"Well, if you stayed still it wouldn't hurt as much!" She shouted, clutching the pliers tightly.

"Well, maybe if you had steadier hands, that wouldn't have happened!" Klaus snarled.

"Well, maybe you should learn to control your temper!" Her insult promptly erased the next thought in his head and he just looked at her. He felt as if he was speaking to Silas again, but he knew this was Giuliana bringing up his overactive temper. The hot headed hybrid stalked away but not before snatching the pliers from her hands.

"Look, I'm sorry." She called. "Maybe I should have been a little gentler." With an aggravated growl, he tossed the pliers aside, embedding them into the wall. "Come on, you wanted me to help you."

"It's no use," he grumbled. "Just get ou-" Before he could even get the syllable out, a strong surge of pain shot up his spine. Giuliana ran to him, but someone blocked her path.

"Let him writhe in pain." Giuliana looked up at a carbon copy of herself, but the dangerous glint in her twin's eyes was let on to the fact that Silas was up to his old tricks. "He hasn't gotten me my cure and I need it."

"Leave him alone, Silas!" She demanded and her twin just laughed.

"Not likely. Until he gets me what I need, I'll be his worst nightmare." She smirked viciously and looked to Klaus who was now on his knees. "What was that? It hurts?" The hybrid growled at her and she narrowed her eyes, making him cry out again. Giuliana rushed to where the pliers were stuck in the wall and yanked them out before running back to evil Giuliana. With a quick slash, she stabbed Silas in the back with them and she let out a shriek. Silas turned on her and gripped her throat, holding her above the ground.

"You are a thorn in my side." She growled. "You should have stayed in that mausoleum."

"Well, I guess I'm here now, aren't I?" Giuliana rasped and kicked her feet at Silas.

"For now, I'm going to keep you alive, but if by some chance I catch you trying to stick a pair of pliers in my back again," The woman pulled her closer, her lips at her ear. "I will tie your tongue to your ankles and use you as a hula hoop." She dropped Giuliana to the floor and stalked over to Klaus. "I'm not done with you yet." She outstretched her hand, curling her fingers inwards and Klaus cried out again. The evil smirk on her lips only grew wider as she tortured the hybrid before vanishing from the house.

* * *

The four of them made their way to Katherine's house. It was a quaint little place from the outside, but it hardly looked like a place that Katherine would call home. A white picket fence, a lush green lawn, and a charming walkway leading up to the door. Damon opened up the door and once Katherine invited the group of them inside, he shoved her over the threshold.

"No sudden moves. No tricks either. No Katherine-ing." He told her and she rolled her eyes before walking further inside the house.

"Wow." Cassandra whistled as she looked around the house. "A quilt and a fish aquarium. Who the hell are you?"

"A very old lady with dreadful taste." Rebekah wrinkled her nose and picked at the folded quilt on the leather couch. Cassandra moved to where Katherine was removing books from a tall bookcase. She tossed them aside to reveal a hidden safe and she flailed her hand around inside it, searching for something. Her face fell when she couldn't find what she was looking for.

"It's gone. The cure." Katherine stated and continued to search inside the safe. "It was in the safe, but it's not there."

Damon made the sound of a buzzer. "Not falling for it. Where is it, Auntie Katherine?"

"I swear it was in the safe." The brunette vampire told him.

"Yeah, just like the fact that Elijah's really your boyfriend and that all this is really your life." Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest. "And besides, we don't even know if this is your real house."

"Yeah, it doesn't look like the Katherine I know." Damon added.

Katherine narrowed her eyes. "Maybe you don't know Katherine at all. Did it ever occur to you that you have no idea who I really am?"

"Uhm, no." Cassandra scoffed.

"Did it ever occur to you that you're not that deep? This whole small-town girl thing, we all know it's an act." Her husband grumbled.

Rebekah now stepped forward, a hard look on her face. "Where is the cure?" Katherine didn't reply but there was the smallest hint of a smirk on her lips. The Original took that as a sign of Katherine playing her for a fool and vamp-sped towards her, but Cassandra was quick to hold her back.

"As much as I want you to, blondie, we need her alive." Cassandra sighed.

"Barbie Klaus, you check upstairs and Cass and I will check down here." Damon ordered and the blonde Original would normally never take orders, but she figured that if she found the cure first that it would be hers, finders keepers. So, she sped upstairs, leaving a rush of wind as she went.

"You know what, why don't you go with Rebekah?" Cassandra suggested. "I can case down here for you." Damon seemed skeptical at first, he wasn't too keen on the idea with leaving Cassandra alone with Katherine, but he knew that she didn't like it when he smothered her. Damon nodded, kissing his wife on the lips softly and Cassandra swore she saw the slightest trace of envy in her eyes. The raven haired vampire waltzed upstairs, allowing the two women some alone time. For a few moments they just remained silent, eyeing one another up and down

"So, where is it?" Cassandra asked her.

"So, when will you tell Stefan that you and Damon want the cure?" She countered.

"I asked you first," she bit.

"And I care because?" Katherine gave a shrug. "I know you want this cure."

"And so do you." Cassandra chimed in. "You really think bargaining with Klaus would set you free? You're more delusional than I though."

"And you think Damon taking the cure and becoming human will get you knocked up, right?" The brunette vampire tilted her head to the side. "Keep in mind that you're still half-vampire and that it might not work. So, you'd be willing to make Damon a human and then turn him back into a vampire? How very selfish of you."

"I'm not making Damon do anything he doesn't want to do. We talked about all of this and he wants it." Cassandra told her, but Katherine looked the least bit convinced. "Don't believe me? Then why would he come to PA to trail you? For shits and giggles? This is something we really want, Katherine, and we're not stopping until it's ours."

A softened look crossed Katherine's face in realization that Cassandra and Damon had a relationship that she'd never have with anyone. She lied, cheated, and deceived to get ahead in life and she knew deep down that she'd be alone for eternity even with Elijah by her side.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you've actually turned Damon Salvatore into a one woman kind of man. Never thought I'd see the day."

Cassandra grinned, little butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. No matter for how long she knew Damon, he always made her heart beat faster and her legs wobble. "Well, you're seeing it."

"Elijah told me about the wedding. I'm sure it was..." She trailed off, nearly swallowing her own words. Of course Elijah told her how beautiful Cassandra looked and how happy Damon was, but while she listened attentively, Katherine's entire being swelled with jealousy and envy for the newlyweds. With great effort, Katherine came back to herself and managed to complete her sentence. "Perfect."

"Look, as nice as this female bonding is," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "I've got a cure to find. So, if I was Katherine Pierce, where would I hide something that could mean living a normal vampire life or running from Klaus for the next few thousand years?"

Katherine simply chuckled. "This should be fun."

Cassandra searched around the room, tapping her fingers over her chin. "It wouldn't be on me, but it would be close enough that if I needed to grab it and run, I could do that." She narrated and her eyes fell on the fish tank once again. She knew that something wasn't right about it when she first entered the house, but now it was staring her dead in the eye. She figured that maybe the fish that lived in the tank would come out, but she saw no flicker of gentle fins wading through the water, only a fancy looking treasure chest that rested in the sea-colored rocks.

"Ooh, what do we have here?" The hybrid drew closer and dipped her fingers in the water. It burned her harshly and she yanked her hand back. "Dammit! I should have known that you're a crafty son of a bitch." She snatched the fish net from the side of the tank and was careful to get the chest inside the net, however she was much too distracted to see Katherine coming up behind her. With a sudden shove, Cassandra soon found herself with her face inside the tank as Katherine held her head below the water. The vervain seared her skin, practically melting it off and Cassandra screamed, banging the edge of the tank, but she went unheard. The hybrid was able to shove the tank off the table and onto the floor, shattering it and spilling water everywhere. Cassandra writhed on the carpet, moaning and groaning in excruciating pain as her face and neck slowly healed from the vervain. She caught sight of Katherine searching through the left over water and rocks till she gripped the chest. The two women found themselves in a wrestling match for the chest when both Damon and Rebekah shot down the steps.

"Give me it! Now!" Cassandra commanded. "Or I'll kill you!"

"You're gonna kill me anyway. So what's more important to you, huh? Killing me or getting the cure?" Katherine then took Cassandra by the hair, smashing her down to the floor and produced a small-pill shaped vial from the chest. Each person in the room was speechless. There it was! What everyone was fighting over! Rebekah was quick to tackle Katherine off Cassandra and the brunette vampire dropped the vial onto the floor. With both girls busy fighting over the bait, Katherine blurred from the house and Damon managed to see Cassandra knock out Rebekah. She stood on shaky legs, clutching the cure in her hands. She couldn't believe it, they were so close to the life she and Damon wanted. The hybrid extended her arm to Damon and he reached out for the vial, but a rough snap to her spine made her fall to the floor unconscious.

"Cassandra!" He rushed to her, but Rebekah was already pinning him to the wall with a make-shift stake through his stomach. "You bitch!"

"You think I'd just let you take the cure? You two are out of your bloody minds." Rebekah snickered and twisted the stake.

Damon let out a loud cry. "Look, Rebekah... Don't even think about it." She ignored him, leaving him hanging there and she gently takes the cure from Cassandra's open hand. Her blue eyes were enraptured by it, in awe that the cure was finally hers and there was no one to stop her from taking it. The raven haired vampire yanked at the stake but it was no use. "Let's just talk about this, like the two rational vampires that we are. Rebekah?"

"Oh, give it a rest. Me taking this cure is everything I've ever wanted." Rebekah continued to stare at the object.

"Don't do anything stupid." He hissed.

"And what will you tell your darling brother when you take the cure? That you want it to make the woman of your dreams happy? That you don't care about him and Elena's future?" She stalked closer to him, but kept the cure out of reach for him.

"I'm not scared of my brother, Rebekah. He needs to realize that everyone is done with Elena's bullshit." He told her with narrowed eyes.

A vicious smirk spread across the blonde vampire's lips. "Well, this conversation is certainly an interesting one, but," she rose the cure to her lips and popped open the top. "Bottoms up." She guzzled the cure just as Stefan entered the house. He took in the chaos and shambles that shook the house but was alerted to the fact that Rebekah had ingested the cure.

"No!" He shouted, but the deed had already been done. The Original swallowed and she gasped for a few seconds before falling down onto the sofa. Stefan and Damon exchanged defeated glances, the cure was gone for good.

* * *

"I can feel the splinters moving closer to my heart!"

"I'm trying to get them out! Just stay still!"

Ever since Silas/Giuliana left, Klaus felt the white oak piece moving even closer to his heart and Giuliana worked to get it out with the pliers again. Once again, she could see that there was nothing in the open wound.

"Klaus, there is nothing here!" She told him while she dug around.

"Keep looking!" He seethed, the pain making him double over.

"Stop moving!" Giuliana moved with him, trying to keep the pliers in the wound.

"Why did you provoke Silas?" Klaus asked her through gritted teeth.

"I was trying to help you! God! You can't even say thank you to someone!" Fed up with him, she removed the pliers and threw them to the floor. "That's it! I've had enough!"

"You wouldn't dare leave me like this! If I die then so does everyone else who was sired by my bloodline." He growled.

"You don't care about them, Klaus! All you care about is yourself and maybe if you started, then people would actually like you." She turned on her heel, making her way to the door.

Klaus vamp-sped before her, blocking her path. "Don't turn your back on me!"

"I should have turned my back on you ages ago!" Her shouts echoed in the room and Klaus's hard look suddenly vanished. His body seemed to relax and his eyes found hers.

"It's gone."

"What?"

"The pain." He reached around to his back to find no pain, like it wasn't even there. "The—the pain is gone. It was—it was never there. He got in my head." He whimpered and touched his temple. "Silas...got inside my head." For the first time ever, Giuliana saw a terrified man in Klaus. All the time she knew him, he was never one to let people control him, but Silas was able to make him lose control and that was something he always feared deep down. He gently took Giuliana's hand in his. "You took my mind off it. You brought me back, Giuliana."

The ex-hunter peered down at their joined hands and felt her cheeks heat up when her green eyes met his now soft blue ones. With one smooth movement, she extracted her hand from his hold and ran a hand through her hair. Klaus looked disappointed that she was now shying away from him.

"If Silas can make you, of all people, believe that you're dying...what can he do to the rest of us?" Giuliana asked him, but Klaus already knew the trouble Silas could do to people in this town. And what terrified him more than anything was that Silas would come back for him.

* * *

Rebekah was still unconscious on the sofa when Cassandra came to. She vividly remembered her spine being snapped and Damon filled her in on the rest. Needless to say she was waiting for Rebekah to wake up so she could cause her some real pain. She felt a plush towel being draped around her shoulders and she looked sadly up at Damon who was rubbing the towel up her arms to dry her off. He returned her glance and lightly kissed her hair.

"Did you even try to stop her?" Stefan's bark promptly ruined their tender moment.

"Sorry, Stef. I was bobbing for boxes and had my face burned off." Cassandra snapped.

"All you had to do was stall her, Damon." He now blamed his brother.

"Sorry. It's Rebekah. I didn't have a pony to distract her, Stefan." Damon gritted. "Are you forgetting the part that I was skewered to the wall by Barbie Klaus?"

"How could you let this happen?" He asked the two of them. "We wanted this cure for Elena and now she'll never get it."

"We?" the female hybrid chimed in. "There was never a "we", Stefan. You wanted the cure for Elena because you can't deal with her being a vampire."

"So, what are you two trying to tell me?" His green eyes looked between his brother and sister-in-law. Cassandra stood up from the couch now and Damon took his place beside her, snaking a protective arm around her waist.

"We want the cure, Stefan." Damon spoke up firmly and his brother was staring back at him, his mouth agape.

"We want to start a family." Cassandra added and lightly grasped Damon's hand on her hip.

The younger Salvatore gritted his teeth, his anger slowly rising. "So, let me get this straight," he pointed at the two of them. "You two lied to me about the cure."

"Yes," the female nodded. "We're sorry, Stefan, but you wouldn't understand."

"No, I don't." He bit. "You're both telling me that I'm selfish for wanting the cure for Elena, meanwhile you both want it for yourselves."

"You want the cure for Elena for the wrong reasons, Stef." Damon told him.

"I want the woman I love back! You would do the same! In fact, one of you already did." Stefan's eyes were now burning a hole through Cassandra. "Because you were so selfish and would do anything to be back with Damon, Elena is now a vampire and living a life she hates." Cassandra slowly felt herself shrinking smaller as Stefan spoke. That horrific pang of guilt descended on her like a giant grey cloud.

"That's enough, Stefan." The raven haired vampire tightened his grip on Cassandra, becoming wary of Stefan's mood.

"I'm just telling her what she already knows, brother." He stated and fixed his gaze on his sister-in-law. "And if I know Cassandra, I know that she doesn't handle guilt very well. Actually, she doesn't handle emotions very well. She'd rather turn them off." Damon suddenly snapped, shoving his brother to the wall with a rough push.

"Say another word and I'll rip your tongue out!" He growled.

"Damon, stop!" Cassandra cried.

"You might want to listen to her before you get hurt." Stefan snarled.

"Stop it!"

The madness in the room finally did stop when Rebekah gasped and sat up on the couch. Her blue eyes wandered around the room, remembering the events of before and that she'd taken the cure.

The two brothers begrudgingly unhanded one another and moved closer to the couch, examining Rebekah's every move. Cassandra clenched her fists and turned away, fearful that she'd do something she couldn't control and her emotions were already on high from all of the things Stefan told her. She gripped Katherine's mail by the front door and proceeded to slice them open with a letter opener while the two brothers spoke to Rebekah.

"How do you feel?" Stefan asked her and she smiled, practically bubbling with glee.

"I feel good." She nodded. "I feel great. I feel alive."

Cassandra's grip on the letter opener tighten visibly as her gaze was now fixed on Rebekah. "There is one pesky problem with being alive. I can kill you now." Knowing that Rebekah couldn't speed away, Cassandra lunged forward, embedding the sharp object in Rebekah's chest and piercing her heart. Finally, she was able to say goodbye to that thorn in her side. Stefan moved to stop her, but there was a danger in stopping a hybrid hell-bent on killing someone. She could have very well turned her anger on Stefan. The blonde's mouth was hanging open as blood pourer from the wound, but she gasped as she felt the torn skin and muscle healing. Cassandra felt it too, and removed the opener, letting it drop to the floor.

"I'm still a vampire. The cure didn't work." Rebekah was horrified as she prodded at the healed wound.

Stefan sighed in relief. "It worked just like she wanted it to. The cure was a fake. It must've been a concentrated shot of vervain or something."

"After all this time, we still managed to underestimate that psychotic bitch." Cassandra groaned and Rebekah still remained in shock.

* * *

"Feeling better?" Giuliana asked as she walked back into the parlor, wiping her hands on a towel.

"Much, thanks to you." He smiled at her. He'd just received a call from Elijah and Rebekah to find out that they had the cure and were coming back to Mystic Falls.

"Hey, I don't want to take all of the credit." She shook her head and tossed the towel aside. "Your temper helped to get me to yell at you."

Klaus smirked, chuckling to himself. "Well, all's well that ends well, I suppose."

"Mmhmm," she nodded and Klaus stepped closer to her. He took her cheek in his hand and her heart raced, praying that he wouldn't hear it but the grin on his lips said otherwise.

"Really, thank you." He told her and pulled her close. Giuliana grew slightly fidgety in his hold and Klaus could see that. "What's the matter, love?"

"I'm sorry, but," she removed his hand from her cheek and she could see Klaus frowning. "With Silas being around...I don't know who to trust anymore."

Klaus's frown let up, everyone in town had their reasons to be afraid and they'd be stupid if they weren't frightened of Silas and his powers. Again, he met her and they stared eye to eye with one another. Hesitantly, his hands came to rest upon her cheeks and he felt her tense up again. He soothingly rubbed his thumbs over her cheekbones to calm her.

"I'll protect you," he hushed quietly to her.

"But-" a finger was placed over her lips.

"I won't let him hurt you." He finished and removed his finger, she didn't speak but her eyes fell closed as his lips descended upon hers. It was a very different kiss from the one they shared a few nights ago. This one was gentle and tender; it almost didn't fit Klaus's nature. She made the tiniest whimper as his lips moved softly over hers and as his hands wrapped intimately around her waist. His body was pressed against hers in such a way that they fit together and he could hardly help himself from sliding his hand just under the hem of her shirt and stroking her olive skin. The pads of his fingertips registered a patch of raised skin, most likely scar tissue, but he chose to just ignore it. It was probably from a wound she got as a young girl. Giuliana shivered as his fingers circled the scar and held him tighter, even after all those years, the skin was still sensitive when she was nicked with a sword when she was play fighting with her brother's sword. The sword that Klaus was looking for. The sword that belonged to her beloved dead brother. Her brother that died by Klaus's hands.

Giuliana roughly pushed Klaus away, disconnecting their lips. "No, I can't." She shook her head.

"Why not?" He asked her. "Clearly you were enjoying yourself."

"I was," it slipped out faster than she liked. "Until I realized who I was kissing. A murderer." Klaus remained silent, his fists clenching at his sides. "You killed my brother and I'm sure you lied about keeping my family safe! You probably killed them for your own sick pleasure!"

"I told you the truth about your family and Alexander stabbed me and my siblings! He had it coming to him!" It was now Giuliana's chance to be quiet. She felt over her lips, wishing she could cut them off for what she just did.

"I...can't, Klaus. I just can't." With that, she stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her loudly and Klaus felt as if someone stabbed him with the white oak stake. It hurt him to see Giuliana upset about her brother and he knew in his heart of hearts that she could never forgive him.

* * *

If it was any consolation, Cassandra liked the little town in PA. It kind of reminded her of Mystic Falls and she greatly appreciated the suburban atmosphere. As much as she loved her Manhattan skyline, and she did love it, she much preferred the crisp, clean air of suburbia. Neon lights lit up the shop windows as she and her husband walked hand in hand down the quiet streets.

"I'm proud of you, you know that?" She told him and squeezed his hand comfortingly. Neither of them said much after they left Katherine's house. Rebekah probably found Elijah and Stefan texted them to meet in the diner they were in earlier. Elena wanted to talk with them.

"What for?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"For standing up to your brother." She told him. "I'm sure it was hard, but you told him what you wanted."

Damon smirked at that, clicking his teeth. "My brother needs to realize that I have my own life. He's still family, but you are my life now."

Cassandra's heart raced wildly and she smiled. "I just...I don't want Stefan to hate us forever."

"He'll get over it. Don't worry about my brooding brother." He lightly kissed her temple and Cassandra let out a long sigh.

"Man, I can't wait to get home and relax. My feet are killing me and I'm in desperate need of shower to get this vervain water off me." She grumbled.

"Well, you can wash and I'll dry." He gave her a quick little bite on her neck and she squealed, wishing they were home already.

They came to the front of the diner and by peering inside the window, no one was inside except for Stefan and Elena who were already at a booth in the back. The younger Salvatore didn't even so much as look at the couple as they made their way toward the booth and slid in. Deciding to ignore Stefan, the female hybrid smiled at Elena.

"You all right?" Cassandra asked Elena who just sat quietly, sipping from her mug of steaming hot coffee.

"What's up with the silent treatment? You're the one that texted us and wanted to meet up." Damon said.

Elena took a deep breath, setting her mug down on the table. "You know I don't want the cure. You need to know that I never will and I'm done talking about it. So, will you accept that and let me be who I am, or not?"

The three exchanged looks and shook their heads.

"Yeah...no," Damon said.

"Elena, this isn't you." His brother now spoke up.

"It is now. And you two really need to accept it because if you don't, there will be consequences." The young vampire looked between the three of them.

"Fine, okay." Cassandra sighed. "How about this, we won't try to give you the cure and you turn your emotions back on." It was a smart proposal; Cassandra was just hoping that Elena would take it.

"That's a charming little offer, but I'm not interested in turning my humanity back on either." She murmured into her mug.

"Listen, I was in the exact same situation that you're in right now. My emotions were off. I wasn't me. And you refused to accept that. You didn't give up on me. You didn't stop until you pulled me back." Stefan hoped that she would remember her own fight to bring him back, but Elena didn't say a word. She set down her mug as a young waitress came over with a pitcher of coffee.

"Let me just top that off for you." She filled Elena's cup.

"Thanks." She smirked and vamp-sped out of the booth to stand behind the waitress and snapped her neck. Her body fell to the floor and the pitcher of coffee shattered to pieces.

"Woah!" Damon gaped and the three of them switched their gazes between Elena and the waitress.

"Like I said, consequences. That's one body you're responsible for. If you keep trying to fix me, there'll be a second, a twentieth, and a hundredth. It's your choice." Elena told them darkly and vanished from the diner. Neither Damon, Stefan, or Cassandra said a word - they were too stunned too. They needed to come up with a plan B for Elena and fast before she snapped the spine of another unsuspecting victim.

* * *

"Can I get you another?" A bartender asked Giuliana and she nodded.

"Sure, please," she pushed her glass towards him and drummed her fingers on the bar.

"Bad night?" He asked her as he refilled her martini glass.

"You have no idea." Giuliana murmured and rubbed her tired eyes. She was sure that she never cried so much in her life. She missed her brother, so much and felt like a piece of her died each time she thought of him. Her old home was gone and there wasn't anything she had from it to remind her of those happy times. She hated Klaus with all her being and that made her cry more, but what really irked her was the fact that she let him kiss her. She allowed the very man to kill her brother to kiss her and touch her in a way that ignited feelings for him that she thought were long gone.

"Here you go, miss." The bartender handed her back her drink and she fumbled around in her purse for money when a masculine hand placed a bill on the bar.

"No, you don't have to." Giuliana went to grab the bill and hand it back to him, but nearly fell off her stool seeing who it was that paid for her.

"Please, it would be my pleasure." The man smiled at her. He looked exactly the same, his hair was shorter, but his handsome face hadn't aged a day. He was dressed in a sharp suit that accentuated his strong facial features.

"Elijah," she breathed and he took her hand. "It's been-"

"Too long." The Original vampire pressed a kiss to the back of her hand before letting it go. "However our last meeting was closer than you think."

The woman narrowed her large green eyes, tilting her head to the side. "I don't understand." She saw the slightest hint of amusement cross his features and she then realized what he was talking about. "The bed and breakfast. Why...?"

"You left so quickly that you didn't exactly give me the chance to explain." He chuckled.

"You saved me." A smile graced her lips and he smiled too. "How did you...?"

"Klaus informed me that you were alive, but I didn't believe him. I wanted to see it with my own eyes." He told her. "When I arrived I was a tad bit late. Klaus had already bitten you and I took it upon myself to help you."

Giuliana's smile only grew wider as she leaned back on her stool, sipping her martini. "I don't know how to thank you."

"It's not necessary," the man shook his head

"But it is." She giggled. "I have been trying to figure out who saved me and now I know. So, thank you."

Elijah sat beside her, "It was my pleasure."

"What brings you back to Mystic Falls?" She asked him.

"I have some business to discuss with my brother." Elijah said and fixed at the cuffs of his sleeves. "I trust that Klaus has been-"

"Difficult? Yes." Giuliana finished for him.

"I was going to ask if he has been behaving, but I assume the answer is no." He said.

"Difficult is too polite of a word to describe your brother." She rubbed her temples and he chuckled. "But I look as if you've been doing well for yourself. I bet the lady on your arm is a lucky one."

Elijah's face fell at that. His Katerina. After he learned that she killed Jeremy, he had a whole new outlook on her. He now knew that she was simply using him to get away from Klaus. Katherine was the common deceiver that she'd always been. She gave him the cure and asked for forgiveness, but he wasn't sure that he could give it to her.

"Oh God," Giuliana groaned and palmed her face. "I just had to open my big mouth, right?"

The Original vampire came back to himself as if nothing had been said. "It's quite alright. You didn't know."

"I'm sorry." She frowned. "She must be a damn fool then."

"Come," he stood and held out his hand. "You've much too much to drink for a woman of your size."

Giuliana bit her bottom lip, the alcohol was deciding now of all times to have its affect on her. "You're too kind."

"I'll take you home." He watched her get up from the stool and her knees buckled slightly, but he wrapped his arm firmly around her waist.

"No, I'm fine." She waved him away and managed to make it look like she was ready to fall over her own feet.

"But I insist." He said.

"You've always been a gentleman, Elijah, but I'll be fine." Giuliana ruffled her hair and bid the bartender goodnight. She smiled at Elijah, trying to hide her blush. "Goodnight, Elijah."

The Original took her hand in his once more, kissing it softly. "Goodnight, Giuliana."

* * *

Warm brown eyes skimmed over the black block print on the page as she relaxed further into the bed. The drive back from PA had been quiet, since everyone was driving alone. Damon drove his car, Cassandra had her Jeep, and Stefan was stuck taking the car Elena and Rebekah had used after Damon's car ran out of gas. The female hybrid's let herself get lost in her book in an effort to keep the events of today out of her head.

Cassandra sighed to herself and wound a curl around one of her fingers. She was worried about Elena, really worried. In some ways, they were similar when they had their emotions shut off. The entire car ride home, she considered giving the cure to Elena and forgetting about what she and Damon wanted, but why should she give up something they want so badly? They were fighting so hard for this cure, so why should they even entertain the thought of giving it up? She was so enraptured with her thoughts that she didn't even realize that Damon had snuck into bed with her until she felt him trail a hand up her ankle. She peered at him over the edge of her book and smirked, putting it on her bedside table.

"How was your shower?" She asked him.

"Well, you weren't there, so it wasn't that good." He tsked.

"Not my fault you drive slow." She giggled and wiggled her toes at him.

Damon gripped her foot and pressed a kiss to the heel of it. "Now, we could argue about who drives faster or I could give you that foot massage you wanted."

Cassandra bit her lip and scooted closer to Damon, placing her dainty feet in his lap. He took one ankle in his hands and dug his thumbs into the ball of her foot, kneading the skin. She leaned back and watched him with a coy smirk. Once the kinks in her foot were all worked out, Damon brought it to his lips. He caressed the pads of her toes, his hot breath playing over them before kissing each toe. His tongue snuck out to dart in between her toes and give a long lick from her heel to the top of her foot. Cassandra squirmed around on the bed, holding back her moans as Damon worked on her other foot. He lightly nibbled at the skin on the bottom of her feet and used his tongue to lave over the raw marks.

"I never knew you liked feet," she murmured huskily.

Damon dragged his teeth over her heel. "You have really cute feet." He admitted and ran his nose up and over her arch. He wouldn't consider it a foot fetish, he just liked showing his wife some extra attention. Not to mention, she had the most adorable feet. Cassandra's back arched and her nipples perked, showing through her thin white nightgown. Caroline had bought it for her as a wedding gift and she thought that she'd put it to good use. As she writhed on the bed, the satin caressed her skin and rose up her legs.

While Damon was suckling at one of her toes, she snuck her other foot into his lap and rubbed over his straining erection that was tenting in his sweatpants. She heard him gasp out, so she pressed harder and felt his cock twitch. Smirking, she continued teasing him and stroking him with her foot. The vampire's breath caught and a low moan fell from his lips at the friction of her foot and the material of his sweatpants massaging his rock hard cock. With a growl, he pinned both her ankles down to the bed and situated himself, so his face was right in between her legs. He bunched up her nightgown and she wiggled her hips. Damon gently kissed Cassandra's covered core before sliding her panties aside and exposing her dripping center. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of the lace and quickly snapped them off her, tossing them onto the floor. Gentle kisses were pressed to her swollen lips and his fingers spread them to get a full view of her bare pussy. Heat and the scent of her arousal drifted to him and he couldn't wait to bury his tongue inside her hot, slick entrance. Her tiny clit peaked from its hood and he passed his tongue over the delectable little pearl. Cassandra moaned as he sucked her clit into his mouth and she grabbed her breasts through the thin material. She rolled and flicked at her nipples and Damon held her hips tightly, keeping her pussy right at his mouth.

"So eager, aren't we?" Damon smirked before he thrust his tongue inside her and Cassandra let out a sinful moan that made Damon stiffen even more in his pants if that was humanly possible. The vampire swirled his tongue along her wet walls, just tickling against her G-spot and Cassandra bucked her hips, craving more friction. She dug her hands in his hair, yanking at the lush locks so he was eye level with her.

"Enough teasing," Cassandra kissed him roughly, cleaning his lips of her juices. Her legs wrapped around his waist and helped to kick his sweatpants off him. His cock sprung free, pressing against her stomach he ripped her nightgown to shreds. Instead of verbally scolding him, she gripped his cock tightly and squeezed. He throbbed in her hold and his breath came out in little pants as she played up and down his long, thick shaft. Damon groaned as she stroked him and rubbed him along her wet lips, nudging her clit every so often. She continued to tease him, dipping him just inside her entrance before pulling him back. Damon took her wrists, slamming them down to the bed above her head and had his lips at her ear.

"Enough teasing," his voice was rough and she grew wetter, wriggling around.

Cassandra smirked, arching her hips and purring. "Then by all means, Mr. Salvatore, have your wicked way with me."

The raven haired vampire plowed into his wife and his eyes nearly rolled back into their sockets at how tightly she clenched around him. He didn't give her any time to adjust; she didn't need it because she was so wet. His thrusts were strong and powerful, making her shiver and shake with each one. Her lean legs slithered around his narrow waist, bringing him closer and pushing him deeper inside her. Skin slapped against skin as his thrusts grew more and more frantic.

"Damon." Her arms wrapped around his neck and she mashed her lips onto his.

"So tight." He bit her bottom lip, tugging it into his mouth and pricking it with his fangs.

"Please, Damon..." She begged and clung to him.

"Tell me," he prodded as he fisted her hair, lightly pulling at it to add the slightest sting of pain to their lovemaking.

"I...I," she couldn't bring herself to words. All she could do was whimper and moan.

"What was that? I didn't catch it." He teased and bit at her neck, hard. His wife trembled, wishing he would pierce her skin."Come on, Cass. Tell me what you want."

Cassandra clenched her muscles around him and raked her nails down his back, splitting the smooth alabaster skin and allowing little trails of blood to mingle with their sweat. "Don't stop. I want all of you."

"And you'll get all of me." Damon panted and buried his teeth inside her neck. That one motion was Cassandra's undoing as she crumbled around him. He sucked down her delicious blood and he let himself go, coming deep inside her and continuing to ride his orgasm with her.

They were a mess of sweaty tangled limbs when they settled next to one another. Cassandra's head rested over Damon's heart and she sighed softly, drawing patterns over his skin. Damon's arm was wrapped around her waist, stroking her hip soothingly. The sheets were at their waists, the fabric brushing against their sensitive skin. He kissed her hair, gently combing through it with his fingers.

"I love you so much," he whispered against her velvety soft locks.

"I love you too," she smiled warmly and kissed his chest. The motion of him petting her hair was quickly lulling her to sleep and she felt her eyes closing. She snuggled into him, nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck and Damon tightened his grip around her, keeping her close to him as her heartbeat was his lullaby that rocked him to sleep.

* * *

**Please review my lovelies! I want to hear from you all :D**

**grapejuice101:** Here is your update! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Guest:** Thanks for reviewing!

**xoxobianca13:** Thank you for leaving a review! I'm glad you like Damon and Cassandra and I'm also beyond thrilled that you like the chemistry between Klaus and Giuliana.

**Tvdlover87654:** I'm very happy that you liked reading about Cassandra's past in the seventies. It was dark for me to write, but it was nice to have Damon be there for her even in her darkest times. I agree, they are very cute :) Giuliana will have a role in New Orleans, but I'm still figuring out the nitty gritty parts of it. Since The Originals TV show has been picked up for the fall, I will have to wait for some new ideas. I also have a ton of ideas for a new story which I will have to try out before I post them. And I am totally having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of Klaus being a baby daddy. Then again, if you've read my story "Sweet About Me", I have Klaus becoming a father when he is a human. But anyways, I'm rambling! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reviewing!

**KimmyWSmith:** I love Damon and Cassandra together too! I really wish that Damon had a character like Cassandra to be with. But, I guess we'll have to wait for that! Thanks so much for reviewing!

**Writer's Block 420:** Don't worry, Damon's car will be fine! However, I can see and hear him freaking out about Elena and Rebekah taking it! Haha! Thank you for the review!

**SomebodyWhoCares:** You do not want to mess with Damon's car! Hopefully, Elena will learn that lesson! Thanks for reviewing!

**shippolove844:** It was hard for me to write Cassandra's past, but I am very glad that you enjoyed it! Not everyone has a nice past, but I think people should embrace their past and look to the future as well. Thanks for your review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

**Guest:** HAHA! I have to tease you guys a little bit to keep you all coming back to read ;) If Damon and Cassandra were alone, they would have totally done it on the desk since they have no shame! Thank you so so much for reviewing!

**Lycan Lover 411:** Thank you, girl! Very happy you enjoyed the flashbacks and Cassandra's past. It was hard for me to have her trick Damon, but an emotionless vampire doesn't care about who they hurt. Hmm, now you have me actually thinking about a threesome on the roof with Damon, Cassandra and Lexi! You have a dirtier mind than I do ;) Maybe if I have extra time during the summer, I'll write it up! Klaus and Giuliana's relationship is slowly building, however someone in this chapter might shake that up! As for Silas, he will be giving Klaus a run for his money! Hope you enjoyed this update :D

**sarahhxx:** Thanks for reviewing! I love Damon and Cassandra too and I wish she was in the show!

**Guest:** Thank you for posting a review! I hope this chapter satisfies your Klaus/Cassandra craving even though it was a little segment. Maybe I can have them interacting a little more in the following chapters because I do miss Damon getting possessive over her. Klaus did show up at the wedding, but it was more just to show his face and ruffle some feathers. If you'd like, feel free to re-read it :)

**Guest:** Here is your update! Thanks for reviewing!


	24. Pictures of You

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 24: Pictures of You**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence - this girl is absolutely amazing! Please check out her stories! I promise that you won't be disappointed! She keeps me writing and gives me so much confidence! I wouldn't be able to do this without her!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Cassandra and my story.**

****AN: Hi all! I've finished my spring semester last week! *YAY!* And I'll be starting my summer classes on Tuesday! *NO!* Hopefully the summer workload won't be quite as much so I can write and update my other stories for you! I know you all have been so incredibly patient with me and I love you all so so much! Updates will be out this summer and now that season 4 is complete, I'll have more time to write and update! Xoxo, and please review :D****

* * *

_"I should beat you," the girl muttered as she searched around the room for her dress while Klaus just watched her amusedly._

_"Why is that?" He clicked his teeth at her teasingly._

_"You ripped my dress." Giuliana held up her blue dress which was now sporting some holes and slash marks._

_"I'll buy you a thousand new ones." Klaus sat up now, the sheet falling from his chest to gather around his hips. "Don't forget, darling, that you made work of my tunic."_

_"I was just returning the favor." She replied simply and stepped into the dress. As Klaus watched her pull it over her olive skin, his eyes ran over the scratch marks on her back. They were red and angry, but not too deep. They'd heal in a couple of days, but he didn't want them to. It was his way of marking what was his. He blamed that on his possessive werewolf side. The hungry wolf rose from the bed, discarding the sheet and sauntered over to his prey. Giuliana was too busy to notice until she felt a firm grip on her upper arms and his hardness pressing against her lower back. His hips ground into her backside and he was growling in her ear._

_"Don't you ever tire out?" She hushed lustfully as his lips brushed over the shell of her ear._

_"Never." His__chest rumbled and she shivered. Klaus ran his fingertips up her arms before settling on her back. They gently caressed the scratches and she hissed under her breath._

_"You've marked me," Giuliana murmured and gasped when his lips replaced his fingers. He felt the heat from the marks against his lips and kissed each one._

_"Do they hurt you?" He asked._

_"A little. They will heal," she told him and giggled as his large hands tickled her sides. Giuliana squirmed around but he held her tightly, running his fingers up her sides._

_"I can think of things that we could do to make them feel better." Klaus chuckled and she wiggled around in his hold._

_"K...Klaus! Stop that!" She squealed but he continued to rough her around. "Klaus! Klaus!"_

"Klaus!"

The hybrid was jolted from his memory as he was now looking at Hayley who was half dressed. After Giuliana had left, he called the young werewolf in an effort to forget about the ex-hunter. The pair shared some drinks and one thing led the next.

"Hello? Where is my shirt?" She asked him with her arms crossed over her bra covered chest.

"How should I know?" He grumbled and proceeded to get dressed. The hybrid was growling to himself; he had a hell of a hangover and he was already regretting sleeping with the young wolf. At the time it seemed like a good idea, but he was now cursing himself for it.

"Someone's awfully cranky," Hayley sang as she pulled her shirt over her head. "You want coffee?"

Klaus turned to face her, now fully dressed and not in the mood to deal with her anymore. "Just get out."

The wolf shrunk visibly, practically cowering in the corner and she gathered the rest of her things. In moments, she was gone and Klaus could feel his head pounding.

* * *

Damon ruffled Cassandra's curls and kissed along her jaw line. She whined playfully and swatted him away, enjoying her sleep and he just chuckled quietly. He pressed one kiss to her temple and pulled the covers over her before throwing on a pair of sweatpants and making his way downstairs. He was making coffee for himself and Cassandra when he felt another presence in the room.

"Didn't dad ever teach you that it's rude to lurk?" He called over his shoulder.

Stefan walked further into the kitchen, taking his time and eyeing his brother.

"I know dad always left his lessons for you since you never knew how to listen to him."

The raven haired vampire rolled his blue eyes. "Alright, I'll bite. What do you want?"

"Do I need a reason to talk to my big brother?" Stefan snickered and snatched a mug from the cabinet.

"Oh, please. You haven't said a word to me or Cassandra since we got back. And that's been a few weeks." Damon poured the coffee into two mugs and handed the pot to Stefan.

"Well, I have every right to be angry with the both of you, Damon. The two of you lied and made it seem like you were going to help me get the cure for Elena."

Damon shrugged, pursing his lips. "Life's a bitch, Stef, and then you die."

"I'm serious," he deadpanned.

"And so am I." He leaned back against the counter. "For the first time in my life, I'm happy. When I first came back to Mystic Falls and saw that you were with Elena, I didn't understand it. You loved her, Stef, and I love Cassandra in the way you love Elena." At first, he was envious of his brother that he was able to settle down in the town that had crumbled around him to ruins. He found himself struggling constantly, but when Cassandra came into his life; his struggle ended. All of the once shattered pieces of his world fell into place and mended. "I would do anything for her and we've been talking about starting a family for a long time."

"I understand that, Damon." He nodded.

"I don't really think you do. All you see is that Elena is a reckless vampire and that you feel like her life is ruined because you took her choice away. It was your blood that turned her, but we all lost our chance to choose. We didn't pick this life. It found us and we have to accept it. If Elena can't, then I just don't know what to tell you."

Stefan's jaw clenched tightly, his eyebrows furrowing. "I just want her back."

"And you get her back once she decides to flip her switch back on. Before she did that, she was practically yours." Damon said.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he sighed. "I have a plan on getting Elena to flip her switch."

"Thank God because I've run out of ideas and we can't exactly shoot the bullshit for another 150 years." He took a sip of his coffee. "She doesn't want the cure. She's gonna start killing people if she knows we're still trying to get it for her."

"We could always, ah, make her want it." Stefan suggested.

Damon scowled. "Yeah, how're you gonna make an emotionless vampire want anything?"

"Get her to flip her humanity switch."

"So what are we gonna do? Pull a Lexi and bombard her with emotions till one of them sticks?" He asked.

Stefan nodded and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Yeah, and if that doesn't work, then we go to Plan B: lock her up, keep her sidelined until we figure out a Plan C."

"And what happens when she gets slammed with every emotion she's repressed since Jeremy died?" He raised an eyebrow.

"We'll have to coach her through it. I know it'll be hard for her, but we'll all be there to help her." Stefan concluded.

"Well, I'm all for it." Damon nodded. "As long as it doesn't involve Cassandra and I getting our necks snapped."

"Where is Cassandra anyway?" Stefan asked curiously.

"Sleeping," Damon replied and tossed a spoonful of sugar into Cassandra's coffee mug.

"She's been sleeping a lot lately." The brother shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, we've been...busy." The raven haired vampire wiggled his eyebrows.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "I know. I've heard it." Night after night he'd hear them going at it and they'd be so loud that not even putting a pillow over his head could block out their moans of passion.

"Don't be jealous, Stef." Damon smirked and went to retrieve the milk from the refrigerator.

* * *

The female hybrid stretched out on the bed, cracking her back and neck before settling down to the mattress. Her muscles ached deliciously and her skin was still sensitive from where Damon bit her. She peeked an eye open and peered over at the clock on the bedside table and knew that she was sleeping the day away, but she was much too comfortable to move. The past few weeks, she'd been feeling absolutely exhausted. She blamed this mostly on the stress of dealing with Elena and her attitude. Cassandra hated the very idea of the thought passing her mind, but her relationship with the young vampire was crumbling into rubble and ruins right before her eyes. They never spoke anymore because it always ended up in a fight. Cassandra would swear up and down that Elena would start them, but the fact of the matter was that she saw one of her closest friends drifting away from her. She toyed with the bed sheet, tugging and wrapping it around her fingers. A long sigh left her lips, she missed her old friend a lot and she wished that it wasn't affecting her so much, but it was impossible.

Cassandra's tired eyes fell closed once more, trying to block out the sunlight that streamed through Damon's bedroom window. If she could just sleep peacefully for an hour, she'd be content. Strange dreams had been keeping her up at night. She wasn't sure if she'd call them nightmares, but she would normally awaken with a start and she would suck in a gasp of air as she jolted up from the bed. She wouldn't scream, she would cry out, perhaps that was why Damon remained sleeping through all of them. But these dreams were odd. She had one where she was lying asleep in bed, happily dreaming, when she felt the slightest flutter inside her belly. However, when she woke up, she found Damon's arm slung over her stomach, so perhaps that was the reason.

Rolling onto her back, Cassandra kept her eyes closed and slipped a hand under her thin tank-top, placing it firmly on her belly. She stroked the warm, soft skin back and forth. It was surreal being so close and yet so far to the one thing that could change her and Damon's life forever. She found that as she got older, she became more and more concerned about having a child. Even though she was a hybrid, her biological clock would tick so loud that it was keeping her up at night. A baby should be doing that. She'd always been great with children and she could see herself being a mother. A smiled graced her lips when she caught sight of Damon playing with her nieces and nephews at the wedding. He would be an incredible father and Cassandra wanted so badly to make his dreams of having a family come true.

* * *

"What kind of dreams?" Caroline asked as she stepped up onto the small platform in front of a set of three mirrors. She was trying on her dress that she had altered a couple of weeks ago. The prom was tonight and she had to look absolutely perfect. Bonnie went along with her to pick up her dress and Cassandra tagged along with the girls. She needed to get out of the house and hopefully hanging out with her friends would take her mind off Elena and the baby.

"Usually I'm at his grave and all of a sudden, he appears to me." Bonnie said.

Caroline frowned visibly. "Well, you never got to say goodbye, Bon. You're grieving, that's normal."

"When I woke up, the couch was on fire." The witch said lowly.

"Jeez, Bonnie. Aren't you scared that your magic is getting out of hand?" Cassandra joined them now. She had dresses slung over in her arms.

"I don't know if it's because I was emotional in my dream, or if Shane was right. Without his help, I'll lose control of my magic." The witch explained.

Caroline shook her head, turning to face them. "No, it's because you need a night off from mourning. And I'm gonna make sure that you have it." The two girls smiled at one another. They were all that they had since Elena was off her rocker.

"Um, you look super hot, by the way." Bonnie smirked.

Caroline beamed from ear to ear before twirling a little. "You think?"

"Beautiful," Cassandra agreed. "You look like a vision, Caroline."

"Matt and I are gonna have the sexiest date there." Bonnie giggled.

"You know what, I love friend-prom. And it's exactly what prom should be - friends and memories." Caroline proclaimed and stepped down off the pedestal. She took some of the dresses from Cassandra's hands, looking at them. "Ooh, these are pretty!"

"Thanks, Care! I don't know what I should wear." The hybrid mused, her eyes running over the dresses.

"Damon will try to jump your bones even if you were wearing a burlap sack." The blonde chortled and Cassandra playfully smacked her shoulder.

"Oh, hush, you!" She grinned. "Is Tyler going to come?"

The blonde's face fell into a deep frown. "I don't know. I mean, I keep wishing that he'll show up, but I don't want to get my hopes up." Both Bonnie and Cassandra placed comforting hands on Caroline's shoulders, seeing that she was getting emotional.

"Okay, I think we need a group hug!" Cassandra announced and they all threw their arms over one another. In times like these, it was important to keep in mind that having friends was the most important thing of all. When they were all hugged out, they broke away, smiling at one another.

"Okay, it sucks that my boyfriend can't be here, but we're all gonna have the night of our lives." Caroline proclaimed.

The front door jingled as Elena and Rebekah entered the shop. The once smiling faces of the girls faltered. Ever since Elena and Cassandra had a giant blow out a few weeks back, the baby vampire packed her things and was now living over at the Mikaelson manor. Perhaps it was better that she lived over there since no one in the boarding house could even deal with her.

"Hey, Bonnie. Heard you got your mind wiped - that sucks." Elena deadpanned to the little witch who frowned. "Pretty dress, Caroline." She eyed the pink organza with a mischievous grin.

"I know. You helped me pick it out months ago when we were friends - before you tried to kill me." Caroline said through gritted teeth.

Elena tilted her head. "I thought it looked familiar."

Deciding to ignore the brunette, she called up to the store clerk who was steaming dresses. "Can you press this for me? I'll pick it up later." The elderly woman nodded and Caroline gripped Bonnie by the wrist, yanking her away from her once best friend and her Original groupie.

Cassandra cleared her throat, her eyes shifting between the dresses in her hands and Elena. "So, how's life in the nuthouse treating you?"

"It's treating me just fine," Elena purred and smiled at her new blonde best friend. "I can actually get a decent night's sleep without hearing you and Damon going at it." Rebekah chuckled and Cassandra glared back at them. "You do know that Damon can't procreate, so it's useless for you two to keep on trying."

That hurt. That hurt a lot. Cassandra's face twisted up disdainfully and she kept her fists clenched. "You know, Elena, you can dial down being a complete bitch. It's not a nice look on you."

"Sticks and stones, Cassandra." The baby vampire sighed dramatically, unaffected by the older woman's words.

"Yeah, yeah, but I can also break your bones too if you step out of line." The hybrid leaned in closer as to not be heard by other shoppers. "And don't think that I won't do it because we're in public."

Elena scowled and looked around at other girls from her class trying on dresses. "You don't have the balls to-" She was cut off by the motion of Cassandra shoving the sharp point of one of her hangers into her stomach. Elena gurgled and moaned painfully, looking to Rebekah who remained still. She had a promise to uphold to Elijah if she was to get this cure and she'd do it fair and square.

"What was that, Elena?" Cassandra twisted the weapon further, making the vampire grit her teeth. "Don't ever underestimate my ability to cause pain because you'll be sorry." She then yanked out the bloody hanger and discarded it on the floor, casting a glance to Rebekah. "Guess your little blonde bodyguard is no help."

"She made a deal with Elijah." Elena growled and Rebekah was shaking her head, trying to get the message across that she didn't want Cassandra to know about the deal.

Cassandra looked to the blonde who was glaring at Elena. "Oh? And what is this deal?"

"If Rebekah can go a full day with using her vampire abilities, then he'd give her the cure." Elena told her and Cassandra's heart nearly stopped.

"Impossible. He doesn't have the cure." She shook her head.

"Oh, is it? Katherine gave it to him." The younger vampire smirked. "Someone's awfully speechless now."

"Elena, you promised you wouldn't say anything," Rebekah growled.

"Oh, please! Like you'll actually win the agreement!" She hissed.

Rebekah ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "Let's just keep shopping. We have to be ready for the prom." She pushed past both girls and proceeded to look through the racks.

"Thanks for the tip, Elena." Cassandra purred and shoved past her, forgetting the dresses in her hands. She made her way down the streets, her eyes passing over the store fronts as her mind ran a million miles a minute. The cure was in Mystic Falls and Elijah had it! There was the problem that he and Rebekah had a deal, but maybe she'd be able to make her own deal with Elijah.

As Cassandra was walking, she was suddenly becoming dizzy. She blamed it on stress or perhaps she needed to feed, but it worsened quickly. Soon she was seeing double and her world was spinning out of control, unable to stop it. She was able to hear someone calling her name and turned to see who it was, but that only made the dizziness worse. Losing her balance, Cassandra tumbled to the ground and she held her head in an effort to make everything stop spinning.

"Cassandra!" Caroline's voice was echoing in her ear drums. Cassandra looked up to see four blurry versions of Caroline in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm...I'm fine," Cassandra murmured and tried to pull herself up but wobbled on her own feet.

"You are not fine." The blonde vampire told her and pulled her out of the way of passing pedestrians to lean her up against the side of a store. "What are you feeling?"

"Dizzy. I'm so-" Cassandra's body suddenly lurched forward and she covered her mouth. Caroline's eye went wide as she watched the hybrid scrambled off the street and into a back alley. She managed to get herself to a dumpster and vomit into it. Caroline jumped in and held her hair back as the hybrid wretched violently. When she was finished, Cassandra lifted her face from the dumpster and wiped her quivering lips. Her skin was pale and little beads of perspiration were gathering on her forehead.

"Oh...God," she groaned.

"We need to get you to a doctor." Caroline hurriedly dug around in her purse for her phone.

"N...no. I'm fine." Cassandra shook her head.

"Then at least let me call Damon." She clicked away on her phone, but Cassandra grabbed it from her.

"No!" She snarled and tossed away the blonde's phone.

"God! What is the matter with you? You have to let Damon know that you're sick!" She said.

Taking Caroline's head in her clammy hands, Cassandra's pupils dilated. "You will not tell Damon what happened to me. You will forget what happened and all you remember is that you were prom shopping with Bonnie."

The blonde nodded as the compulsion took hold. She didn't say another word to Cassandra and she promptly left the alleyway. The hybrid leaned against the wall and hugged her knees to her chest.

What was happening to her?

* * *

_"Elijah, please!"_

_"I cannot, Cassandra. I promised Rebekah."_

_The brunette gave a frustrated sigh. She knew that she wouldn't get far with Elijah. He was just too noble for his own damn good._

_"I know that you promised Rebekah, but what if she fails?" She asked him. "I know that you won't give the cure to Klaus, so what you have here is a cure that you'll never use. Or are you planning on giving it to darling Katerina because you feel the need to save her from her vampire self?" She'd heard about his falling out with Katherine and quite frankly, she felt that Elijah was better off without her._

_Elijah's lips flat lined, fighting to say something but he couldn't find his words. He never thought that he'd have two women groveling at his feet for the cure;__if anything, he thought there would be more vampires fighting for it. He wasn't sure if Rebekah would pass her test, that he was doubtful of, so he'd essentially be in possession of something he didn't want. His fingers worked at the sleeves of his shirt in contemplation as he took in her appearance. He'd never seen her look so haggard and ill. Her skin was pale, her complexion washed out and her eyes were dull. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and she was fidgeting with her fingers._

_"Are you alright?" He asked her and she simply nodded._

_"Been having trouble sleeping lately." She replied robotically and leaned closer to him, resting her arms on the table. "Please, Elijah. Let me make you a counter offer. If Rebekah fails her test, I get the cure. If she passes, then she gets it fair and square."_

_The Original vampire tapped his fingers against the table, taking the deal into consideration. Ever so slowly, he nodded his head. "We have a deal."_

_A genuine smile broke out upon her lips and her posture was no longer hunched over and slouched. Instead, she was sitting up proudly and she reached her hand across the table to shake his._

_"But," he started and she waited with bated breath for his reply. "You must not try to interfere with Rebekah. No provoking her and do not engage her in any kind of confrontations." Cassandra's face fell, she was honestly looking forward to ruffling the blonde's feathers tonight. Nothing dramatic, perhaps stepping on the back of her dress or pouring a bucket of pig's blood on her._

_Back to the drawing board._

_Cassandra looked down at her maker's outstretched hand. She didn't want to follow this part of the deal, but if it was one thing that Elijah taught her, it was to always uphold an agreement. She placed her warm hand in his and they shook firmly._

_"We have a deal."_

Damon's hands wound affectionately around Cassandra's waist, shaking her from her conversation with Elijah from a few days ago. His fingers lightly brushed over the material of her cherry colored gown. She leaned back into him and shivered as his lip pressed soft kisses to the side of her neck.

"You look beautiful," he told her and she bit her bottom lip.

"You don't look too bad yourself." Cassandra turned and noticed his bow tie was hanging loosely around his neck. Giggling, she took it gingerly and proceeded to tie it. "Do you remember when you were my escort to that ball in LA?"

Damon gave her one of those special genuine smiles that she loved so much. "Of course I do."

"You couldn't tie a bow tie then and you can't tie a bow tie now." She laughed aloud and folded the fabric.

"Hey! You know that I'm much better at tying ties." He shrugged.

Cassandra's chocolate brown eyes ran over his sharp jaw line and pronounced cheekbones as she worked the bow tie into its proper shape. His lips were parted and his eyes, oh his eyes, how she loved them so. She still couldn't wrap her head around the idea that this man was her husband.

"Can you believe that it's been two years since then?"

"Can you believe that it took me so long to smarten up?" He chuckled and she tied the fabric tightly. Damon leaned back up and adjusted the tie, straightening it out and peering at his reflection in the mirror.

"I guess I'll have to forgive you for taking your sweet time then," she smirked and adjusted her own gown in the mirror. The material skimmed the wooden floor and flowed gracefully. She normally liked to wear tighter dresses to show off her curves, but her body hadn't been cooperating with her lately. She just didn't like the way she looked in anything she picked out and that resulted in a last minute shopping trip. She knew why this was happening, but she chose to keep it to herself. Perhaps she'd muster up some courage to tell someone. Thankfully she hadn't been feeling nauseous and her complexion managed to shift back to its normal flawless shade.

Damon raised an eyebrow at her via the reflection of the mirror. "You guess?" His wife bit her bottom lip and continued to pick at her appearance. She tugged at the silver sequined and beaded halter straps and made sure her cleavage was just the right amount for a high school prom.

"I'll show you," he murmured before unexpectedly grabbing her and flashing her to the wall, pinning her there.

She peered up at him through her dark feathered lashes, a look a pure lust in her eyes. "By all means, show me." She whimpered.

The vampire smirked, his blue eyes drowning in the very sight of her. Lately he'd been completely unable to control himself around her. From morning till night he would try to suppress his animalistic urges to bend her over every surface in the house, but it was impossible. His sex drive was insatiable and he had blamed it on the fact of the approaching new moon. Vampires weren't normally affected by it, to Damon it was just a giant ball in the sky, but wolves were affected by it. Cassandra's sex drive would kick into overdrive and since the two were connected so intricately, he was sharing the same effects his wife would have around the time of a full moon.

"I'm waiting," she sang playfully. His hand reached down and toyed with the slit of her gown. She gasped as his fingers spread the fabric and caressed up her strong leg. He was fascinated that her skin was always so smooth to the touch and his hand only rose higher. She was softly panting now, his touch was setting her skin on fire and she was squirming around.

In a matter of seconds, she found herself sitting on Damon's desk with the skirt of her dress bunched around her waist, exposing her panty covered center. She felt the cool wood underneath her behind, but that was doing nothing to quench her desires. With deft hands, he slid the already wet material down her legs and shoved them in his pocket.

"Damon," she chided.

"Ah, ah, ah," he tsked and danced his fingers over the hood of her clit. "My god, you're soaked, Cass." He hadn't even touched her and she was nearly bursting like a dam.

"Do you see what you do to me? You make me so hot and wet for you." She moaned throatily and bucked her hips in an effort to get more friction. Cassandra then took her foot which was encased in a silver organza of straps and beading and rubbed it over his straining erection.

Damon swallowed thickly and his cock stiffened. "Babe, I'm so hard that you could get me off just by doing that."

"Perhaps when we have more time, but right now your wife is needy and wants to be satisfied." Cassandra purred and pressed her foot harder against his cock. To even the playing field, his fingers were now running circles around her clit.

"We don't have much time." The pad of his thumb applied more pressure to her pleasure button while two fingers probed at her entrance. "Wouldn't wanna be late for the prom."

The hybrid's head fell back over her shoulders, writhing and whimpering on his desk. "You're seriously thinking about the prom now?"

Damon's lips captured hers to quiet her protests and with her distracted, he swiftly buried his two fingers inside her. Hot walls clenched around the digits while a third was now lurking around her other hole.

"Oh...oh god!" She braced her hands on the desk behind her and proceeded to thrust her hips against his hand. Damon only moved faster, his fingers reaching deeper inside her to rub against her G-spot which was hard and filled with fluids. Cassandra snuck one of her hands to his dress pants and yanked down the zipper. She tugged his cock out through the hole and stroked him from base to tip. Her thumb massaged the area just underneath his swollen head and Damon growled low in his chest. His pumping hand continued its work on her pussy while the third finger drew some of her wetness to her darker hole. Cassandra gave a desperate mewl as his finger pressed into her. Her grip on his cock tightened and she worked him even harder, sensing that they were both near their releases.

"When we get home, I'm ripping this dress to shreds and you'll be mine." He whispered hotly against her lips.

"I already am yours," she panted and her walls clamped down on his fingers, her orgasm waiting in the wings. "Damon! Oh! Make me come!"

"Louder," Damon commanded and his fingers were now working in tandem with her loud moans and each rough stroke of her hand on his cock. Both holes were being speared relentlessly and Cassandra was reaching her breaking point.

"F...fuck! Right there!" She couldn't hold it any longer, she was crumbling around him and she could hardly form words. "I'm...I'm-"

"Come for me, Cass. Come all over my fingers." That was all she needed to hear as she let go completely. Her juices squirted from her pussy and Damon continued to thrust his hand wildly, making the sweet smelling liquid drench everything but their clothes. Cassandra's legs quivered uncontrollably as she screamed out. With one particularly hard squeeze on his cock, she felt his hot come spurt out onto her hand. They were floating from their orgasmic highs as they fell against each other, completely boneless and spent.

* * *

The prom was already in full swing by the time the couple straightened themselves out and arrived there. Couples were swirling around on the dance floor and Stefan motioned for Damon and Cassandra to meet with Bonnie and Matt.

"So, what did we miss?" Cassandra asked.

"We have a problem," Bonnie said. "Silas is here. He appeared to me as Jeremy. It's like Jeremy was there. I could talk to him, feel him."

"Bonnie, that's what Silas does. You can't let him get to you again." Stefan told her.

"Yeah, because you all crazy and brainwashed is just not a good look." The raven haired vampire jumped in.

"Silas can appear as anyone he wants, living or dead." The witch explained.

"What do we do then?" The brunette looked around worriedly.

"We just have to keep our wits about us." Stefan said. "If we see anything out of place, we find someone and alert them."

"But how will we know that it's not Silas' tricks?" Damon pointed out. "Witchy here just said that he can look like anyone."

"Then we'll be extra careful. Right now, let's just try to blend, so we don't draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves." The younger Salvatore then looked around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping.

"Okay, then let's split up." Matt offered and each of them went their own separate way.

* * *

Giuliana cursed herself for standing at the Mikaelson doorstep as she knocked once again. She swore up and down that she wouldn't come back here, especially not to talk to Klaus, but she wanted to just tell him how she felt about the whole situation. She also wanted some real answers about her family and had the feeling that Klaus was lying to her completely. He was shaking with anger the other night when she left him, and perhaps it was the goodness of her heart that wanted to make sure that he was okay.

After waiting for barely a second, she paced for a moment or two before turning around and leaving. No one is home, she figured, however she wouldn't allow herself to say that she was a little anxious to talk to him.

"Giuliana?" A calm voice called and the woman looked over her shoulder to see Elijah standing in the open doorway. She'd only gotten a few steps down the walkway, so she turned around awkwardly.

"Elijah," she greeted.

"Giuliana, what a pleasant surprise," the Original beamed at her and she shifted uncomfortably. "To what do I owe this pleasure? And so late at night."

"I, uh, wanted to talk to Klaus." The ex-hunter replied and peered over Elijah's shoulder. "But I guess he's not home, so I'll just go."

"Well, wait," he stepped out and she stopped herself from running down the walkway. "He isn't home now, but I'm sure he will be soon. Won't you come in for a little while?"

Giuliana's green eyes softened at his kindness. He was always the kinder brother. She nodded and Elijah led her inside. "Thank you."

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

"No, I'm alright." She answered as they walked into the parlor.

"So, may I ask why you need to speak with my brother?" Elijah sat in one of the armchairs while Giuliana was on the couch. Damn, she knew that question was coming.

"We had a little argument a few nights back and I guess I just wanted to check in on him." She took a throw pillow and placed it on her lap.

"You're a good friend to him. I only wish he realizes it." Elijah said, however Giuliana only nodded. "But my guess is that your silence says otherwise."

The woman chuckled, toying with the extra threads on the pillow before looking back up at Elijah. "Well, if we're going to talk about your brother, I will need that drink first."

Elijah grinned and quickly fixed them drinks. Two glasses of red wine in crystal stemmed glasses. The deep rich flavor reminded her of when she and her siblings would make wine in the summertime. They would pick full bunches of grapes from their expansive vineyards that would stretch on for miles and bring them to a giant vat. They'd step on the grapes for hours at a time and she'd remember having purple feet from the end of the night because of the juices and dyes. She'd scrub her feet for days but the purplish color would still stain her skin for days.

She swirled her wine glass, swishing the dark liquid around. "This reminds me of home." She said quietly. "I miss it."

"I know you do," he nodded. "Perhaps you could go back one day."

"I don't know." She lounged back on the couch. "It might be too painful for me. There are a lot of memories there and...I know that Klaus killed my parents. That's a part of what we fought about."

Elijah quirked an eyebrow at her. "Klaus didn't kill your parents. He made sure to watch over them."

"I don't believe him," Giuliana scowled.

"Do you believe me?" He asked her and she remained quiet for a moment.

"I don't know who to believe anymore, Elijah. Why would you watch over my family after Klaus and Kol killed Alexander?" She held her wine glass tighter.

"Klaus and I were fearful of Kol, that he would return and go after your family." He replied. "He ended up leaving Italy, but we wanted to make sure he'd stay away from your family."

"I'd need more proof than that." The woman continued to sip from her glass.

The Original looked as if he wanted to speak, but didn't. Instead, he just watched her get up from the couch, grip the wine bottle by the neck and pour herself another glass. "Your mother was heartbroken when you disappeared."

She nearly dropped the bottle on the floor, but managed to catch herself. She cast a glance at him over her shoulder and placed the bottle down with a clank. "Well, I hardly gave her anytime to adjust after Alexander was killed. As soon as the hunter's mark appeared, I went to a witch to ask for help. I saw how the mark changed my brother and I was scared."

"I know you were scared," he said.

"But she told me in order for the mark to stop, I had to be desiccated in a tomb until such time that I'd be awakened." She explained. "I didn't want to do it, but I didn't want to be the kind of person Alexander was. I loved my brother, Elijah, but he just killed without reason."

"I don't fault you for it, Giuliana." He told her.

"But I left my family, Elijah! What kind of a daughter am I?" Her arm happened to fling out and she knocked over the bottle of wine. She gasped and reached for it, but Elijah had sped over to catch it without losing a bit of his composure. He placed it back on the table and she let out a shaky breath.

"That was a close one. I wouldn't have wanted to ruin your rugs." She joked.

"No harm done," he grinned at her. "But you are anything but a bad daughter. Your family didn't quite understand why you left, but they didn't hate you."

Giuliana sobered up and swallowed her pride. She placed her glass down and stared up into his oak brown eyes. "I just wish I knew for myself, you know?"

"I understand." He nodded.

* * *

Rebekah was anxiously wringing her hands in her lap as Cassandra approached her. The two women were now standing eye to eye, each wearing a more vicious glare than the other.

"So, how's yours cure deal going?"

"Fine."

Cassandra smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sure that Elijah didn't tell you about our little side deal."

Rebekah's face paled and her confident smirk melted. "Side deal?"

"If you screw this up, then I get the cure." She said.

"No," the blonde shook her head. "Why would he give it to you?"

"He doesn't want Klaus to have it and I'm the next runner up." Cassandra grinned triumphantly. "Now, I promised Elijah that I wouldn't ruin your chances, but no pressure, okay?" She sauntered past Rebekah, leaving her speechless. The blonde whipped around to say something, but Cassandra was gone. She simply shook it off and went to find April Young to try and convince her about giving her the position of Prom Queen.

* * *

Sipping idly at a glass of water, the female hybrid nodded to the music while keeping eyes peeled for any sign of Silas. So far, no one had even approached her, so she was half convinced that the threat was gone. She swallowed nervously as she tapped her foot against the floor.

_"I just don't understand how this could have happened," the brunette doctor murmured as she stared down at her charts._

_"I'm just as clueless as you are." the woman rubbed her temples._

_Cassandra's stomach turned once more as she stared down at the paper in her hands. She snuck out of the house early to head over to the hospital. Her symptoms only worsened as the days went on and it was getting harder and harder to hide it from Damon. She knew that she was crazy; she had to be that she was sitting in the hospital getting poked and prodded for something that was impossible to imagine, but now here it was staring her right in the face._

_She was pregnant._

_"How can I tell him?" Cassandra ran her hands over her tired face. "More importantly, what do I tell him?"_

_"You can't not tell him, Cassandra." Meredith said._

_"What do I say? It's impossible that I'm pregnant. He's a vampire and can't procreate!" She was standing now and she was pacing the room._

_"I have the tests here, Cassandra. Everything checked out." She nodded. "You are pregnant,"_

_"Good God, I can't tell Damon." She rambled. "I'll just-"_

_"Just what? Wait till the baby comes?" Dr. Fell interjected. "Cassandra, you have to tell him."_

The female hybrid thought about it long and hard and she hadn't told anyone about the pregnancy; mostly because she still couldn't believe it. There was nothing that she could do to calm her nerves and she looked down with a scowl at the glass of water in her hands. She couldn't even drink scotch to help her out. After hours and even days of contemplating, she made her decision.

Tonight.

She'd tell him tonight.

Cassandra didn't know how to explain it or even vocalize it, but she had to tell Damon of their good news. What would he say? Would he be as shocked as she was? Would he even believe her because the thought alone was so impossible? A thousand unanswered questions ran through her head, but she didn't have time to even regard them as Stefan made his way toward her. He smiled charmingly at her, however it was dramatically forced and Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Coming over here to guilt me?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Nope." He shook his head. "Just coming over here to get a drink."

"I can imagine all that searching for Silas must have worked up a lot of energy." She murmured into her glass.

Stefan took a glass of punch from the table and stood beside her. "I don't think I've ever seen you drink something without an alcohol content."

"Well," she cleared her throat as heat rose up in her cheeks. "I'm trying to cut back." It was a simple answer, but Stefan still continued to eye her water.

"Wait till Damon hears that," he sighed.

"Yeah...wait till he hears it." Cassandra shifted nervously and Stefan immediately picked up on it.

"What is up with you?" He asked.

"Nothing, Stefan. I'm cranky because I can't drink and I'm here talking to you." She hissed.

"Jeez, and here I was thinking that we were headed down the path of friendship."

"Oh, blow it out your ass!" The hybrid growled and faced him. "This nice act - I can totally see right through it."

"You're blaming me for trying to be nice and actually fix things?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "Look, I'm doing this as a favor to Damon because I like seeing him happy, so you don't have to like me, but at least know where I'm coming from."

Cassandra continued to glare at him before stamping her foot. "Dammit, you really are Stefan." The two relaxed their stances and actually shared a laugh or two before Damon rushed up to them.

"You two. Outside. Now," he ordered.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

"I saw Silas. He's out in the woods." Damon hushed and Stefan and Cassandra exchanged a worried look.

"Let's go take him out." Cassandra fisted her gown and followed Damon with Stefan in tow. They exited the prom; however they didn't even realize that Damon was on the other side of the room.

* * *

The trio trekked through the woods and Cassandra cursed herself for ruining yet another pair of shoes. When all of this was over, she saw a shopping spree with her name on it. Damon led them out a little further and stopped, looking around.

"He was here. This was the last place I saw him." He told them and Cassandra bent down to the earth. She felt the soil for footprints when Damon suddenly staked Stefan.

"No! Damon, what are you doing?" She screamed.

"Goodnight, brother." Damon snapped Stefan's neck, making him crumple to the ground with a thud.

"Silas!" He'd managed to trick the both of them and now Cassandra was completely alone and without any weapons.

Damon now turned to Cassandra, his real identity having been revealed. "Now you,"

Cassandra placed a protective hand over her stomach before turning on her heel and running through the woods. She pushed with all of her might as the trees and underbrush around her became one giant blur. She could see the lights of the prom in the distance; she was almost there, but a rough tug of her hair sent her flying backwards and her back was pressed into a tree. Silas stood over her, still in his Damon form and laughed manically at her attempt to outrun him.

"I always thought wolves were faster runners." He snickered.

"What do you want, Silas?" She growled up at him.

"I want my cure and now I hear that you want it too." It scared her that Silas looked so much like Damon. He even had Damon's mannerisms down to a science. "Although, why would you want something that can give you what you already have?"

Cassandra's eyes went wide and she could feel her heart racing. "How did you know?" How could he have known? She didn't tell anyone.

"News like this doesn't stay under wraps for long, Cassandra." He told her quietly as he leaned in closer to her. Cassandra shrunk back, hoping to get away from him. "I can get inside that pretty little head of yours whenever I want."

"Go to hell!" She spat.

Damon pursed his lips, shrugging. "Have it your way then." He thrust a stake right into her stomach and she let out a painful scream. The force of it was so strong that it pierced her skin and muscle, nearly coming out her back.

"No...no, no, no!" She cried as Damon twisted the stake inside her. She wriggled against him and the stake tore further into her belly. The baby...he killed it. Damon then grabbed her around the neck with his other hand, leaning in dangerously close.

"Now, how about if I was to tell you that everything you've been feeling these past few weeks has been a lie?" He told her and Cassandra recoiled from him.

"W...what?" She rasped.

"The dreams, the sensations. They were a figment of your imagination. Or better yet, of mine." He smirked and kept her pinned to the tree. "It wasn't real. None of it was."

Cassandra stared back at him with wide eyes and she concentrated on her stomach. She didn't feel anything anymore. No heartbeat, no gentle movements - nothing. Silas had tricked her into thinking that the pregnancy and the baby was real. Tears of despair were now running down her pale cheeks and grief crippled her.

Damon's vicious smirk only grew wider as he watched her crumble to pieces before him. He stabbed the stake inside her even further and a groan fell from her lips. "Just remember, Cassandra. I can be anyone at anytime and anyplace. I can make you believe things, see things that aren't real and then take them away from you in an instant."

"You're a monster!" She punched at his shoulder, but he wasn't hurt by it. "Where's my husband?"

"Oh, Damon? He's somewhere out here." He mused and twirled a lock of Cassandra's hair between his fingers.

Cassandra jerked her head away and spat in his face. "Where. Is. Damon?"

The vampire wiped his cheek, anger rippling behind his features that this woman was daring to make demands on him. "Last I saw Damon, he was with his wife in the woods. It's possible that I saw more, but I just can't remember."

"Don't touch him!" She growled furiously and Silas then grabbed her neck in a choking grip that was so hard, bruises were appearing on her skin.

"Now you listen to me and you listen good," he hissed dangerously and tightened his grip. "I will not be commanded by you or anyone else in this town." Damon roughly removed the stake and let Cassandra drop just as her lips started to turn blue. He fixed his suit, much like how Damon would, and stalked off into the night. Cassandra pressed a hand to her bleeding stomach as the crimson liquid mixed with the color of her dress. Never in her life had she felt so betrayed, alone, and completely helpless. Silas got so deep into her mind that she believed everything only to have it be taken away from her. Her gown billowed around her as she sunk lower to the ground and she closed her eyes; allowing herself to fall into the darkness that surrounded her own mind.

* * *

Elijah beamed warmly at the now giggling woman sitting across from him. He was much happier seeing her laugh then when she was close to tears before. Her mood was much better since the wine was getting to her and they moved on to talking about memories from old times.

"Do you remember when you challenged me in a sword fight?" She wagged her finger teasingly at him.

Elijah recoiled, as if trying to play innocent. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" Giuliana giggled, tucking her feet underneath her and resting her head on her hand. "Don't try to act innocent, Elijah."

_"Sister, may you take my sword to the blacksmith?" Giuliana took up the sheathed sword with great care and respect._

_"I shall, however I loathe that man." She grumbled._

_"He just admires you, Giuliana." Alexander chuckled, kissing her on the forehead and leaving her in main hall. She made sure she was completely alone before unsheathing the sword from its casing. Her brother told her that this sword would help to read the tattoo that was scrawled on his skin. The black ink swirls was the map to the ultimate weapon that would lead to the destruction of all vampires while the sword would act as a compass of sorts. The sword gleamed and she sliced the air with the blade. It sent out a gentle ringing noise through the hall, music to her ears. Giuliana continued to wield the blade as if it was her own as she was taught how to handle a sword from a young age. Alexander thought it was imperative to have this skill should any vampires invade the town. She imagined her target before her and took a few quick swipes and jabs before turning on her heel and a loud clang stirred her from her training. Her blade had collided with Lord Elijah's who must have been watching her the entire time._

_"You have skill with a blade, my lady." He moved his sword along hers, scratching the blades together._

_"You wish to challenge me, Lord Elijah?" She raised an eyebrow and side stepped him, now stalking around him, keeping her blade at the ready._

_"Perhaps a little test is in order." He mused and the two then circled one another, looking for any kind of opportunity. "Who taught you how to wield a blade?"_

_"My brother," she__replied and swiped at Elijah who quickly blocked the shot. "Who taught you?"_

_Elijah made a quick jab at Giuliana and she dodged out of the way before stepping forward and taking multiple hits at Elijah, each one was blocked in succession. "Klaus taught me and we would often practice when we were young boys."_

_"He is a good teacher." She smiled._

_"Your brother is as well." Elijah agreed and countered the same hits Giuliana dealt him. They were in a different order and much faster, but she blocked each one with such skill. Elijah could see that she was getting slightly winded, but he admired that she could keep up with him. He delivered a few more slices through the air and Giuliana faltered, tripping over her own feet and the blade struck her._

_She hissed and placed a hand to the wound, falling backwards and onto the floor due to the momentum of trying to move away from the incoming blade. Elijah's eyes were wide with horror. He didn't mean to hurt her._

_"My lady, my deepest apologies." He dropped his sword to the floor and tried his best to keep his bloodlust under control. He was better at control than his brothers, but that didn't mean that he wasn't tempted every so often. Elijah moved to help her when a sting of pain slashed his midsection. Looking down at his tunic, it sported a thin hole and the tip of Giuliana's blade was stained with blood._

_"Now we are even." She smirked and discarded her brother's sword. Both wounds weren't deep;__however Elijah's had already healed. Giuliana rose to her feet with Elijah's help and pressed her hand to the cut._

_"Are you hurt badly?" He asked worriedly. If he truly wanted to, he could slip some of his blood into her wine at dinner tonight._

_"It is nothing more than a scratch." She chuckled, but frowned down at her dress.__"But, this__was my favorite dress."_

_"I'll see to it that you get a new one." Elijah nodded._

_"Please, Elijah, I was just joking." Giuliana gigged and looked down at the hole in his tunic. She reached her hand for the wound to care for it, but Elijah moved her hand away. "Are you alright?"_

_"Yes, Giuliana. I am fine. I must say that my pride is wounded. Never have I met a young woman who has such talent with a blade."_

_"Thank you, my lord." She curtsied but it sent a twinge to her wound. Elijah wrapped a hand around her waist, keeping her steady._

_"Please, call me Elijah." He said._

_Giuliana gave him a bright smile. "Thank you, Elijah."_

"I still have the scar," she mentioned and remembered Klaus rubbing his thumb over the raised skin when he kissed her.

"I forgot to slip you some of my blood," he said and heard the front door open and close. They both looked up to see Rebekah walk in, all smiles. "You're home. And how did our Cinderella fare?"

"I won't lie. There were complications." She said, but her smile only grew wider. "But I passed your test with flying colors."

Elijah stood up and made his way over to his little sister. He reached into his pocket and fished out a little white box. "If this is what you truly want, it's yours."

The blonde Original took the box and eyed the cure which laid right inside. "I guess it's time that I turned into a pumpkin. Thank you, Elijah." She side stepped him and happened to pass Giuliana. The two women locked glances and the brunette suddenly got a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Elijah's phone then rang, but Giuliana didn't stay in the room. She followed Rebekah back outside into the yard only to see that she was gone. The ex-hunter whipped around, hearing someone vamp-running in the backyard, but it was happening too quickly for her to catch the motion. She pulled a stake from inside her jacket and armed herself; she might not have been a hunter anymore but she still wouldn't forgo any chances to protect her wellbeing.

"Elijah!" Giuliana called out, fear laced in her voice. He appeared behind her and took her by the shoulders, ushering her towards the house.

"Get back inside. Now." He growled and kept his eyes on the backyard.

Giuliana gripped her stake tighter and stood her ground. Elijah was suddenly attacked by Rebekah and thrown to the floor.

"I warned you about what would happen if you were to pursue me again." She said darkly.

"Well, what can I say?" Giuliana shrugged. "I've got a hunter's instinct."

Rebekah smirked darkly at the other woman before flashing to her and grabbing the stake. The two women fought for it, wrestling one another until Rebekah reared her head back and smashed against Giuliana's. Stunned and distracted, she released her hold on the stake and Rebekah stabbed her with it.

"Here you are, befriending vampires when your mission was to exterminate them." She hissed and moved to stab her again when Elijah tossed the imposter off Giuliana and picked her up in his arms. He sped into the house and laid her down on the couch.

"I'm getting fed up with him coming after me," she groaned and yanked the stake out of her stomach.

* * *

Stefan laid Elena's unconscious form down on the cot in the cell of the basement in the boarding house while Damon and Cassandra stood in the doorway. The vampire attacked Bonnie and she retaliated, using her magic to bring Elena to her knees in excruciating pain. Elena was screaming and thrashing as she held her head and the trio could see something that took them by surprise.

Fear.

They thought that it would take longer for Elena to show any kind of emotion, but now they knew that there was some way to get through to her. Stefan combed back a bit of Elena's hair before backing up and locking the cell door behind him.

"She might not feel much, but she's gonna feel _that_ in the morning." Damon droned.

"So what's the plan?" Stefan asked tiredly. He and Cassandra were still recovering from being attacked by Silas. Damon was able to find them both in the woods, but Cassandra had been unnervingly quiet for the rest of the night.

"When Bonnie was wailing on her tonight, I could see it in her eyes. Elena thought she was gonna die. She was scared." Cassandra explained.

Stefan nodded. "Fear."

"Last time I checked, one of those pesky human emotions." Damon chimed in.

"So, Plan C. Make her life a living hell." The younger Salvatore concluded.

"And what about Silas? You know, the one that can be anyone, anywhere, anytime. He's another one of our problems." Cassandra mentioned.

"Silas still needs Bonnie. And if tonight is any indication, she's no pushover. She's not gonna let him manipulate her, not anymore." Stefan said.

"I wouldn't underestimate his talents. He fooled the hell out of both of us." Damon grumbled.

"Wait," his wife took him by his shoulder. "Silas came to you? What did he say?"

Damon simply shrugged. "Not important." He climbed up the stairs and Cassandra bounded after him while Stefan just went up to his room and locked the door.

"I'm serious, Damon." Cassandra gripped his arm again as they walked through the parlor. "What did he say to you?"

The vampire swallowed as he poured himself a glass of scotch. He took a few long swigs before clearing his throat. "He led me into the woods,"

_"You do know that we're supposed to be on Silas watch duty." Damon told her as she dragged him through the dark woods by his hand._

_"I know that, but I have something to tell you," she was practically bubbling with excitement and Damon found himself smiling with her, waiting for her to finish. She took his hands in hers, squeezing them firmly before taking a breath and readying herself to speak. "Damon,...I'm pregnant."_

_He was dreaming; he had to be. There was no way that this was happening in real life. It was impossible. Damon's eyes went wide as his entire world stood still for just a moment. He waited for himself to be pulled from this dream by a barking order from Stefan or a gentle kiss on his neck from Cassandra, but he was still with his wife in the forest on prom night._

_"I know that it sounds impossible and you probably think I'm crazy, but it's real." She spoke again, hoping to wake Damon from his haze that he was in. "It's real. Our dream is finally real. It's happening for us, Damon."_

_"I..." Damon was at a loss for words. He wasn't even sure if he could speak if his life depended on it. Sensing a bit of skepticism in him, Cassandra moved their joined hands to place his over her stomach. Damon listened carefully, cutting out all other distracting noises until he finally heard it._

_Bum bum._

_Bum bum._

_Bum bum._

_Cassandra beamed, seeing the recognition and amazement behind his eyes as he finally understood that all of their wishing and wanting was over. Overwhelming joy lifted from his chest and he swore he felt himself floating on thin air._

_"I don't believe this," he murmured, shaking his head. "Cassandra, how?"_

_His wife shrugged. "I don't know, but we're going to have a baby, Damon!" She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly and his arms enveloped her waist._

_"A baby. Our baby." He was still in shock, unable to process all of his feelings at once, but he held onto her for dear life, praying that this wasn't some awful dream. He suddenly felt a shift in his wife that made him uneasy. She didn't feel familiar anymore, like he was hugging a stranger. In one fluid motion, a stake was stuck in his chest and he fell to his knees. Cassandra smirked above him as he worked to inch the stake out of him._

_"Oh, Damon, Damon, Damon," she tsked, shaking her head. "Sometimes I'm so good, I scare myself."_

_Damon growled, his grip on the stake tightening. This woman was not his wife;__it was someone they'd been preparing for ever since they got off the island. "Silas."_

_"Well, that took you long enough. You are just too gullible for your own damn good." She spat._

_"You set me up! Why?" He gritted his teeth._

_"All part of the plan." Cassandra spoke simply._

_"Where is she? Where is Cassandra?" The vampire scrambled back against a tree, leaning his back against it as leverage to get the stake out._

_"Hmm, she's probably with Stefan because his brother led them into the woods, thinking that he saw me." She told him. "You know, she might be in real danger."_

_"If you touch her-"_

_"You'll what, Damon? Kill me?" She crouched down to his level, smirking evilly. "You don't have the power to kill me. None of you do." With Silas distracted, Damon was able to remove the stake and he stuck it in Cassandra's chest, however she only gave a slight whimper._

_"Stay away from my wife, Silas!" Damon threatened and Cassandra hoisted him up by his neck, pinning him to a tree._

_"Now, how can I stay away from her when I've already seen her?" She tilted her head and looked off into the distance, seeming to catch a noise. "Hmm, it sounds like she and Stefan are waking up now." Damon struggled in the impossible grip that was holding him when Cassandra turned back to him. "Be on your toes, Damon. You never know who I'll be next."_

_In an instant, she was gone and Damon fell to the forest floor. He had been tricked by Silas and he didn't like being tricked._

"Silas told me about the baby." He said.

"Oh my God," Cassandra ran her hands through her hair. "This is why I didn't tell anyone. I knew this would happen."

"Tell anyone what, Cassandra?"

"But no one else knew. I even went to Dr. Fe-" she stopped herself and then yanked at her hair. "Godammit! He was Dr. Fell!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Damon, these past few weeks I've been seeing things and feeling things. I thought I was just going crazy or I was stressed but I wanted to make sure." She explained. "I took some home tests and they were positive, but I still wanted to make sure. I went to the hospital and had Dr. Fell test me. The tests showed that I was pregnant, but...Silas...he got into my head." Her words wavered as she felt herself growing more and more emotional. "He made me see things and feel things. I believed them with all my heart and tonight I was going to tell you, but..." She trailed off, her emotions getting the best of her and she just let herself cry without abandon.

The vampire felt his own heart breaking painfully as he watched her. "Cass..."

"He took it from me, Damon!" She suddenly snapped, growing hysterical now. "He took it all from me and he told me that he could get in my head whenever he wanted!" She took a glass from the end table and threw it at the wall, shattering it. Cassandra clutched her heart, the pain of feeling it crack wide open was quickly becoming too much to handle. "I hate him! I hate him so much that it hurts!" The wounded hybrid yanked hard at her long locks that had splatters of blood clinging to the tips.

"Cassandra..." Damon moved forward to take her in his arms but she wailed out and shoved him away.

"No, no no! I can't! I can't, I can't!" Desperate sobs left her lips and tears ran down her cheeks. She fell to her knees, grief distorting her features. "Make it stop, Damon! Please, it hurts! Just make it all stop!"

Damon's arms enveloped her and he cradled her sobbing form close to him. She fought his hold, but her limbs were shaking with anger and sadness, making it harder to push him away. "You listen to me," he cupped her cheeks and brushed away her tears with his thumbs. "You are stronger than this."

"No, I'm not!" She shook her head.

"Yes, you are, Cassandra! Don't let him get into your head." He told her firmly.

"He already is! In my mind, he'll always be there!" Cassandra sobbed. "He took away the one thing that would have meant the world to us! It's gone, Damon! I can't...I don't want to-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

"I don't want to feel anymore, Damon! What's the point? Silas will just keep trying to hurt me and it won't matter if I turn it off."

"You are _not_ turning it off! I won't let you!" He growled. "That's not the way you handle things."

Cassandra found her strength and pushed Damon away, rising to her feet. "It worked for me in the seventies."

"Cassandra, I swear to God!" Damon shouted loudly.

"Then make me forget! Make me forget that he was ever in my head!" She begged desperately.

Damon took her face in his hands. "I can't make you forget, Cassandra. But you have to hold on for me. Please, you have to." He thought that he was getting through to her, but he suddenly saw her eyes start to shift. They were alert, but they were quickly glazing over.

She was turning it off.

The vampire shook her roughly to make her stop, but she was unresponsive to him. In a last stitch effort, he smashed his lips onto hers and didn't let up until he felt her move her lips against his. Even if it would distract her for a few hours, he'd use that time to let her know how much he loved her. Cassandra clutched the collar of his shirt; he was the only piece of sanity that she was clinging to. Her nails tore through the fabric as she ripped it off his body. Buttons and shreds of his shirt flew across the room and her hands ran over his skin hungrily. Damon's hands fisted her dress, the hardened trails of blood shedding from the sequins and he reduced the gown to tatters. It fell from her form and Cassandra dragged her nails down Damon's chest, his blood dripping over his rippling muscles. He hissed against her lips but let her. She was hurting and perhaps needed to inflict some pain. He'd rather take a few hard love bites and deep scratches just as long as she wasn't wreaking havoc on some innocent people. He grabbed her roughly around her hips and threw her to the wall. He pinned her there and bit sections of her neck, but she switched them around so he was pressed against the wall. She sunk her fangs into his collarbone, injecting the deadly werewolf venom right into his blood stream. Damon tugged on her hair, lost in the sensations of both pleasure and pain as she fed from him.

Releasing her teeth from the bite wound, she dragged her fangs down his chest, nicking his muscles and licking up the trails of blood. She got to the waistband of his dress pants and toyed with the fabric with her teeth. Cassandra's lips then hovered over his hip before sinking her fangs there. He threw his head back, cracking the wall and he pulled her mouth away from his skin. If she kept biting him like this, he'd be dead soon. Deep red blood trickled down her chin and it stained her lips a beautiful crimson color. She was bubbling with lust and so was he. Damon kissed her roughly, bruisingly, making her whimper loudly. With a quick slice of his own fangs, he was sucking down mouthfuls of her curative blood. As soon as his bite marks healed, he then whisked them up to their bedroom and they wrestled for dominance on the large bed.

Cassandra came out on top and sat on Damon's hips. She licked her lips suggestively, cleaning his blood off her before holding his wrists down and giving him a crushing kiss. Damon let her take control even though it was killing him that she was burying her hate and anger for the time being. He knew when they were both spent, morning would come and she'd think about flipping her switch again. As she shredded up the rest of their clothes, he sincerely wished that she'd forget the idea and realize what she had right in front of her, she couldn't, however, because she was so blinded with rage. He knew that having a family was so important to Cassandra, but this had quickly broken her down and she hit rock bottom. Damon felt her hot tears hit his cheeks but he let her cry as she rode him. They didn't exchange any words or glances tonight. They were just trying to grip onto what last bits of sanity they had left.

* * *

****AN: This chapter was a hard one for me to write! I really hope you all enjoyed it and pleeeaassee review! I want this story to surpass "You and I" which had an amazing 495 reviews! Holy crap! Let's do it :D****

**grapejuice101: Thank you for writing a review! As far as Klaus/Cassandra/Damon scenes, I'm really not quite sure where or how I'd fit them in the upcoming chapters. I have some ideas, but you'll have to wait and see ;)**

**Silently Tearful: Thanks for your review! I'm glad that Damon finally told his brother what was on his mind. I was afraid that Damon would be a little OOC if he did this, but Damon has always been the brother who is more upfront about a lot of things, so I think it fits. In the later chapters, we'll see Klaus's feelings undergo a change that I never thought would happen, but I'm excited to see how everyone reacts to that change.**

**Tvdlover87654: Thank you for reviewing! Cass and Damon are definitely a class act and I'll be stealing the "Kluiliana" ship name from you (if that's alright, hehe!). I love it! As for my Klaus/OC fic, I am still thinking up ideas and planning, however I'd only be able to write a few preliminary chapters to it considering we only saw one episode of Klaus in New Orleans. It all depends on how much my muse wants to give me and I might be posting a little intro before the Originals show takes off in the fall.**

**xoxobianca13: Thanks for reviewing! Very happy that you liked this chapter! As for Giuliana and Klaus, they will have some more scenes together in the near future since I am planning on having her move over to the Originals show which will start in the fall :) Now that season 4 is over, (I'm still recovering from that season finale!) I'll hopefully have more time to write and update my other stories because they have been neglected!**

**shippolove844: Thanks for your review! I love smut scenes too ;) Please excuse my dirty mind!**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Damon probably has a lot of fetishes which include handcuff and bondage ;) Let your imagination run wild, I do! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: Thank you for reviewing! I love me some Damon/Cassandra sex too! ;)**

**Guest: Of course I'll be continuing when season 4 is over! How can I stop this and disappoint so many faithful readers and reviewers?! I just saw the finale a few days ago and I have an end for the season, I just have to get there! Thank you for reviewing and for planting a smutty vacation seed in my brain ;)**

**Daisy96: Thanks for reviewing! As for the Klaus/Hayley baby bomb, (I'm still reeling from it!) I have some little ideas which still have to be ironed out! As for New Orleans, I'm planning on having Giuliana go there with Klaus and Elijah. That's all I'll reveal for now ;)**

**Lycan Lover 411: Thanks for your review and for my Ian Somerhalder picture you sent me ;) I had to do the Caroline and Giuliana switch, and I'm glad that readers are really taking the Klaus and Giuliana chemistry very well! Silas is a very tricky guy! Believe it or not, it's fun thinking up ways that Silas can be a little shit and get into people's heads! I think everyone (in my story, at least) is a little done with Elena. Both Damon and Cassandra have come to realize that they want to do things to make themselves happy and Stefan is a little annoyed that those things don't include giving the cure to Elena. As for Klaus and Giuliana, they'll have some upcoming scenes because I am planning on having her join the Originals cast. Yes, it was Elijah! *throws you a cookie* Very happy that you loved the love scene at the end too!**

**Guest: Thanks for posting a review! I love Damon and Cassandra too! I have some upcoming plans for the Originals episode that are still being worked out, so please be patient :) As for an actress that plays Cassandra...here's the thing! Whenever I read a fic or write one, I always imagine myself as the OC (what can I say, I love shipping myself with these incredibly handsome men ;) LOL!). I know that it is a horrible answer to your question, so use your own imagination!**

**Mysterylove123: Thank you for your review! As for Klaus's feelings for Cassandra, we'll see in the upcoming episodes how he feels and as much as everyone loves the Klaus/Cassandra/Damon love triangle, we'll see it shift as the finale draws to a close.**

**Guest: HAHA! Damon and Cassandra should totally do a sex tape! Thanks for reviewing and putting that dirty idea in my mind ;) I'd watch it too!**


	25. The Originals

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 25: The Originals**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries, only Cassandra and my story.**

* * *

Damon turned over in his sleep and let out an audible groan; he'd forgotten to close the curtains last night and now he was paying for it because the sun was shining brightly in his eyes. Growling low in his chest, he turned back over and splayed his body on the bed. He cracked his eyes open to see Cassandra gone and he sighed deeply. He rose from the bed to see the sheets torn and mingled with blood spatters. Looking down at his own body, he saw dried blood along his skin.

Last night had been a dark one. They gave each other bites and bruises as they pounded ferociously against one another. It was rough, vicious, and wild. Cassandra would scream and howl like a banshee, but not all of them were from pleasure. She'd pour each ounce of negative emotions into some of those screams and she was wailing in agony for most of the night. He hated seeing her so out of control and reckless. As he made his way to the shower, he only hoped that today would be a better day and that she'd start healing.

Stefan and Elena sat quietly on the couch with one another in a calm embrace. When she awoke in the basement, she'd turned her emotions back on and Stefan was there to help her throughout it all. It came back to her like how waves crash upon the shore, all of the horrid things she'd done and for a split second she was close to giving up, but Stefan coached her to get through it. He gently stroked through her hair and he could practically feel Elena smiling. Oh, how he missed that smile of hers.

When Stefan had gone up to his room, he heard Damon and Cassandra's argument. Every word and sob made his heart ache. Originally, he was angry with both of them for wanting the cure for themselves, but after hearing what Silas had done and how broken Cassandra was, he didn't judge them anymore for wanting it. Sure, he still wanted the cure for Elena, but only if she'd choose to take it. Cassandra's wails and sobs hurt him the most. This was a woman who always held her composure when things were bad and she was always strong, but last night he witnessed an entirely different person.

The slamming of the front door made them both turn to see Cassandra walk in and throw her bag on the couch. She totally disregarded both Stefan and Elena as she made herself a drink. The two vampires frowned; Stefan had filled Elena in on what happened and they truly felt sorry for her. None of them knew who should speak first. Should they just let her go about her business? Or should they try to help her heal?

"No use trying to walk on egg shells around me," Cassandra muttered and ultimately forgot her glass and just resulted in drinking from the bottle. "Just try to keep my fake pregnancy under wraps because I don't intend on being the laughing stock of this town."

Stefan swallowed and squeezed Elena's shoulder reassuringly. "Cassandra, we're sorry about what happened."

The wounded hybrid waved them off. "Please, you couldn't care less about what happens to me. You hated Damon and me for wanting the cure, so don't even try to redeem yourself."

"He's just trying to help you," Elena piped up and Cassandra trained her eyes on the little vampire.

"Oh, the queen bitch has abdicated her throne." She beamed sarcastically and Elena recoiled. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking that spot because I have nothing better to do."

"Don't be like this, Cassandra," Stefan pleaded.

"Be like what? An emotionless bitch who doesn't care about anything? I'm already halfway there and I suggest that everyone stays out of my way." She glared.

"This isn't the way to live. Think about what you're doing to yourself." He said.

"Don't tell me how to live, Stefan, when you're the one who told Elena to shut it off." The hybrid growled. "You're no better than I am."

"Cassandra," Damon had come down the stairs, a towel slung low around his waist and she smirked at him.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Salvatore." She stalked over to him and traced the beads of water that dripped down his body with her eyes. "I was actually thinking about taking a shower. Maybe you'll join me?" The hybrid then climbed the stairs and Damon exchanged a weary glance with his brother, shaking his head. The raven haired vampire left before the other two vampires offered any kind of information and proceeded to get dressed in his room. As he was looking through his drawers, he felt Cassandra's form pressing against his back.

"I love it when you're fresh out of the shower," she purred and ran her tongue along the arch of his neck, collecting little droplets of water along the way. In seconds, she whipped him around and pinned him against his set of drawers. "It just makes you all the more delectable." Her hands played with the towel, fingers sneaking below the fuzzy fabric. Damon then flashed her across the room, restraining her against the wall. She eyed him playfully and craned her head up for their lips to meet, but her husband pulled back, a teasing smirk upon his lips. He dipped his head and clamped down on her neck without his fangs, but it still made her tremble against him. She let out a husky moan and gripped his shoulders tightly but he secured them to her sides. He chuckled against her skin, hearing her whine out and he released his teeth from her neck to nibble at her earlobe.

"Do you want it?" He asked and she nodded, wriggling against him. She hated, yet loved when he teased her and she knew that he took great pleasure in seeing her writhe and beg for more. "Well, until you turn it back on, you're not getting it." Cassandra's eyes snapped open and looked to her husband who was pulling a pair of jeans up his legs.

"It's not nice to tease." She growled.

"I mean it, Cassandra." Damon stated firmly.

"But my emotions aren't off."

"They're halfway off and unless you turn them back on, I'm cutting you off." He said simply.

Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest. "You think going without sex will make me turn it back on?"

"Maybe, but I did see lust in your eyes. You know, one of those human emotions." He replied and brushed past her to open up the little drawer on her bedside table. Producing her favorite pink toy, he wiggled it in front of her. "Better get used to using this."

The hybrid snatched her vibrator from him, a menacing glare in her eyes. "You better watch this doesn't find its way up your ass in the middle of the night."

"Sorry, babe. I'm kinky, but I'm not that kinky." Damon smirked and left the room, but not without hearing Cassandra shouting obscenities at him. She threw the toy on her bed and plopped down on the now clean sheets. Her eyes closed for barely a moment until she heard a buzzing noise right near her.

"Cute toy," Katherine gleamed as she examined it. "Looks like you two will be spending a lot of time together." She shut it off and tossed it aside.

"Ugh, Katherine." She groaned.

"The one and only. So, when's the 'Welcome Home' party? The vampire sat beside Cassandra.

"Never because you're not wanted." She sat up against the headboard. "Besides, shouldn't you be halfway to Guam right about now? Klaus is still plotting your demise. Now that's a party."

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore, because Klaus is gone." Katherine grinned haughtily and Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean he's gone?"

Katherine crossed her legs at the ankles, lounging on the bed. "Let's just say that werewolf girl, Hayley, turned out to be just the thing we needed to get Klaus out of our lives for good."

"Can you not be aloof about it and just get to the point?" She asked.

"I'd love to, but I have my freedom to enjoy. Ciao." Katherine then disappeared in a flash, leaving Cassandra alone with her toy.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Night had fallen upon the city and Jane-Anne let herself become calm and serene, soaking in the silence around her. The moon hung high up in the sky, surrounded by little pockets of stars and the witch began to light candles that were placed on a wooden surface atop a tombstone. The time was right for the spell she needed to cast and she gave one last look over her shoulder to make sure that there were no lurkers nearby. Witches were not allowed to practice magic, that was the law of the land and Marcel was sure to enforce it whenever a witch was caught practicing. Jane-Anne scowled at the thought of that horrid man. Marcel had been the so-called "king" of New Orleans for as long as she could remember. The entire city was crawling with vampires and Marcel had managed to run out the werewolves during his rule. Witches were scarce and they all lived in fear of the vampire king, but Jane-Anne had to put a stop to all of that even though she was at risk for getting caught. Her sister, Sophie, begged her not to perform the spell, but Jane-Anne's mind was already set.

She took a container of salt and poured it in a pattern that she'd seen in her spell book multiple times after the past few days. Her dark hair billowed around her as the winds picked up. She lightly hummed and closed her eyes, focusing on the spell she had practiced. Jane-Anne knew that Hayley had entered the bayou and had finished the spell when another image entered her mind. She saw a woman with long dark curls and warm inviting brown eyes. Whispers on the air invaded her ears, speaking words that were only to be heard by the witch who was frantically trying to sort them out. Perhaps this woman was here in New Orleans, but the witches seemed to shake their heads at her. They showed her distorted images, and let her listen to garbled voices, but it didn't help Jane-Anne. As she focused harder on drawing more energy from the witches to help solve this mystery, she hardly noticed that vampires were drawing closer. The candles around her flickered and the witch opened her dark eyes hearing the spirits warn her of the intruders. Before the vampires grabbed her, she sent the images and messages to Sophie, knowing that she wouldn't live to tell her in person.

* * *

**Mystic Falls**

"New Orleans? What the hell is Klaus doing there?" Rebekah questioned.

Elijah looked back at his sister. "Evidently there are witches conspiring against him. So, knowing our brother, this was a mission to silence and slaughter."

"Who tipped him off?" Giuliana asked.

"Darling Katerina." The blonde spat. "Of course she manages to squeeze right by."

"Enough, Rebekah," Elijah grunted.

"I'm supposed to feel sorry for her? I don't think so, Elijah. She's a nasty wench that manages to stomp on the heart of every man she comes across. You, being a prime example." She spoke and Elijah didn't reply. Giuliana frowned, remembering back to the night when she mentioned the woman the left Elijah was a fool. Perhaps it was Katherine and perhaps this was a fresh wound.

"You've said your peace, sister." The Original said once he caught Giuliana's frown.

"Well, the French Quarter witches are not a lot to be trifled with. You don't suppose they've found a way to kill him once and for all, do you?" The blonde smiled before taking a sip of her drink.

Elijah was none too pleased with her response. "Rebekah, in the name of our family, you might try to dial down your glee."

"What family?" She scoffed. "We're three distrustful acquaintances who happen to share a bloodline. I, for one, hope they've found a way to make that traitorous bastard rot."

"Nothing like a little sibling love to brighten your day." Giuliana chimed in with a scowl.

"What is she still doing here?" Rebekah nodded to her.

"Well, 'she' is standing right her. Maybe you should ask her yourself." The brunette deadpanned.

"Giuliana is seeking refuge here until Silas backs off." Elijah defended. "Since she is of the hunter bloodline, Silas is finding it much too amusing to toy with her."

"Besides, it's not like I'm bothering you," Giuliana added.

"Fine," Rebekah shrugged and watched as Elijah gathered himself to leave the room. "Where are you going?"

"To find out who's making a move against our brother. And then I'll either stop them or I'll help them." Elijah fixed his suit jacket and tilted his head. "Depending on my mood." His sister rolled her blue eyes and stalked off, muttering something about how she didn't care if Klaus lived or died while Giuliana darted after the Original brother.

"I'm coming with you," she told him.

"You are to stay here with my sister. Right now, she's the only one who can protect you." He clearly was not in the mood to negotiate with her.

"And what about when Rebekah goes to school? Silas can come in this house and pretend that he's anyone he wants." She fought.

"You can go to school with her." The Original said.

Giuliana rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I already don't like spending time with Rebekah, so what makes you think I'd want to go to school with her?"

"Giuliana-"

"Elijah, please. I don't want to live in Mystic Falls if I have to live in fear." She frowned.

Elijah's eyes met hers and he could see the fear in them. Giuliana would normally never show when she was afraid and that worried Elijah. It was never his intention to put her in danger or to make her feel like she was living in fear, but Mystic Falls had turned completely upside down. She gave him the tiniest smile in hopes that it would sway him into letting her go to New Orleans with him. They both looked upon each other for some time before Elijah spoke again.

"How quickly can you pack?" A wide smile spread across Giuliana's lips and she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you!" She beamed and his arms slowly embraced her back. He hadn't been so close to a woman since...since Katherine. Giuliana felt different than Katherine. Stronger, yet more womanly. Her limbs were lined with a hard muscled armor, yet her body was wrapped in bountiful curves. Giuliana pulled back, a smile still on her lips before darting out of the foyer and to her house to pack for her trip.

She'd never been to New Orleans before.

* * *

**New Orleans**

The French Quarter was alive with throng of vampires crawling along the streets. They were hardly subtle and showcased their supernatural abilities without fear of persecution. Elijah had never seen such a display of lechery and hedonism, especially in the modern day and in public. They certainly were a rowdy bunch and they made sure to show it. As Giuliana and Elijah walked along the streets, he made sure to slip a protective arm around the woman's waist. He felt uneasy around these arrogant young vampires and he wanted them to know that Giuliana was not to be trifled with or else they would have to answer to him.

She felt his arm slip around her waist and she smiled at that. "I can take care of myself, Elijah."

"I'll be hearing none of that," he told her as they passed a group of vampires who were whistling at her. "As long as you are here with me, you'll be under my protection."

"Thank you," Giuliana had always taken care of herself, so it seemed almost unusual to have someone be so interested in taking care of her for a change. "You spoke with Sophie?"

Elijah nodded, however his jaw clenched tightly. "You will find out what we spoke about very shortly." To Giuliana's dismay, Elijah and Sophie spoke alone because the young witch was hesitant about who to trust.

"Did Cassandra ever meet her?" She asked him.

"I'm not quite sure. Why?"

"Because when we saved her from those two vampires, she called me Cassandra." Giuliana replied and the Original shrugged. "She wouldn't tell me anything."

"Maybe they know each other," he said simply and stopped in front of a building abruptly. Klaus's voice was coming from the rooftop and he peered up to see him talking with another man. The pair on the ground waited in silence until the other man left and Elijah held Giuliana tightly around her hips.

"Not afraid of heights, are you?" He quirked a smirk and flashed them up before Giuliana could answer. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder but she was already up on the balcony on the other side of the adjoining room.

"Are you alright?" He asked when she didn't release her tight hold on him.

Giuliana pulled back quickly, not wanting to look weak and tucked a long wave behind her ear. "Yes."

The pair then moved from the balcony and through the room to meet with Klaus. They were standing right behind him the Original hybrid didn't even turn to acknowledge them even though he heard them loud and clear.

"Evening, Elijah." He greeted while keeping his eyes fixated on the streets below him.

Elijah stepped forward to stand near his brother. "Niklaus."

Klaus turned to face him. "What an entirely unwelcome surprise."

"And what an entirely unsurprising welcome." His brother quipped. "Come with me."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not till I find out who's conspiring against me." He growled.

"Then you should come with us." Giuliana said and the hybrid narrowed his blue eyes at her. "We just found that out for you."

"Is that so?" He hissed.

"Yes, Niklaus. So I suggest that you come with us if you want answers."

Giuliana pushed open the tall iron gates to the Lafayette Cemetery and let the two Originals in before closing the gates behind them. The three of them walked along the cobblestone path till they reached a mausoleum and Giuliana shivered. She had been asleep in one for a couple hundred years and she was hoping to never step into one ever again.

"What are we doing here?" Klaus asked impatiently.

Elijah climbed up the steps and pulled the door open. "You wanna know what the witches have in store for you? Follow me." They entered the mausoleum to see Sophie standing inside.

"Sophie Deveraux. What is this?" Klaus asked.

"He's all yours. Proceed." Elijah told the witch.

Sophie looked to Klaus. "You know you're famous in this town? Witches tell bedtime stories about the powerful vampire Klaus. We know Marcel was nothing but an orphan street rat, until you made him what he is. And now he's out of control. He does what he wants, he kills who he wants. I'm gonna stop him, and you're gonna help me."

Klaus smirked to himself, amused that this little witch was thinking that he'd just help her take down Marcel. "This is why you brought me here?"

"Hear her out." Giuliana muttered.

"I don't need to hear her out." He hissed at her. "I assure you, love, there is not a thing on this earth that will matter enough for me to waste even thirty more seconds of my time." The creaking of the mausoleum door opening made Giuliana turn and raise her eyebrows to see Hayley being ushered in with a few more witches. Klaus was clueless as to why she was here too and looked to his brother

"Elijah, what madness is this?"

Hayley gulped loudly. "Klaus. You need to listen to them."

Klaus's lips quirked into a smirk as he laughed at the three ring circus that he was a witness to. "You're all out of your minds if you think some liquor-fueled, one-night stand, no offense, sweetheart, means a thing to me." He jabbed a finger at Hayley and she recoiled at that and so did Giuliana. This was the first time hearing that Klaus and Hayley slept together.

"Marcel may be able to keep up from practicing real magic in this town, but as keepers of the balance we still know when nature has cooked up something new." Sophie said. "For example, I have a special gift...of sensing when a girl is pregnant."

Any traces of amusement left Klaus's face and even Giuliana cast a glance to Elijah who remained quiet.

"What?" Klaus eyed Hayley.

"I know it's impossible..." The wolf trailed off.

"What are you saying?" He asked them.

"Niklaus," Elijah called. "The girl is carrying your child." Giuliana's stomach dropped and her green eyes went wide with surprise. Klaus's entire demeanor changed as well. His confident posture and smug attitude faltered as he stared at Sophie.

"No. It's impossible. Vampires cannot procreate." He shook his head.

"But werewolves can." The witch said. "Magic made you a vampire, but you were born a werewolf. You're the Original hybrid, the first of your kind, and this pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes." Giuliana was only catching some of Sophie's words; she was too stunned and speechless to even listen. She...she felt something for Klaus and she thought that he felt something too, yet he slept with Hayley. She knew that she shouldn't care, but she did. Hayley was now pregnant with Klaus's child and she didn't even want to look at him.

The Original hybrid scowled before turning on the wolf and shouting at her. "You've been with someone else, admit it!"

"Hey, I've spent days held captive in a freaking alligator bayou because they think that I'm carrying some magical miracle baby. Don't you think I would've fessed up if it wasn't yours?" Hayley snarled back.

"My sister gave her life to perform the spell she needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us." Sophie's explanation made them look between one another. "If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, Hayley won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress."

Hayley shifted nervously. "Wait, what?"

Elijah stepped forward now, not wanting this to end in violence. "Enough of this. If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself."

Sophie shook her head. "No. We can't, not yet. We have a clear plan that we need to follow, and there are rules."

Klaus flashed to stand before the witch. "How dare you command me...threaten me, with what you wrongfully perceive to be my weaknesses. I won't hear any more lies." He shouted and turned to leave but Elijah stopped him.

"Niklaus. Listen." The entire mausoleum went silent and Klaus turned towards Hayley who had placed a hand over her stomach. Giuliana couldn't hear it, but the Original brothers heard a rapidly beating heartbeat coming from the young wolf. Klaus's eye met Hayley's in complete wonderment and he then looked to Giuliana who averted his gaze. Gathering himself, he clenched his fists and turned to Elijah.

"Kill her and the baby. What do I care?" He growled and pushed past the group and rushed out of the mausoleum.

* * *

**Mystic Falls**

"Well, well, well," Rebekah tsked. "Look what the wind blew in."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and tapped her heel against the hardwood floor. "You'd think after being around for a while you'd have a better array of insults."

"What are you doing here?" The blonde asked. "Come to rub it in my face that I didn't get the cure?"

"It wasn't my original intention, but now that you mentioned it," Cassandra grinned and crossed her arms over her chest. "There's no use pouting about it because none of us who wanted it got it."

"But I wanted it," she growled. "I wanted a human life more than anything."

"Whatever," she clicked her teeth. "Well, this little pow wow we're having is nice and all, but I'm here to speak to Elijah."

"He's not here. He's in New Orleans."

Cassandra wrinkled her nose. "Never pictured Elijah throwing beads before."

"Some witch is trying to kill Klaus." She replied.

"Again?" The hybrid scoffed. "Let's hope they get it done this time and find a way to do it without killing me...then again, I couldn't give a damn."

"What's got you all pessimistic?" She asked and Cassandra didn't answer her. The blonde continued to eye her curiously. "You turned it off, didn't you?" The brunette smirked widely, biting her bottom lip. "Why?"

"Well, not completely. I still have a little smidgen of emotion left in me." She said.

"You could have fooled me." Rebekah shrugged, but something clicked in her head. She remembered Damon and Elena talking about how emotionless and volatile Cassandra was during the nineteen seventies. Now, she was just teetering on the edge and one little push would do the trick. Luckily for Rebekah, she had that one little push, but to Cassandra, it would be a ruthless shove off the edge of a cliff.

"Do you know why else Elijah went to New Orleans?"

"Nope, but please, the suspense is killing me," she droned sarcastically.

"You remember that werewolf girl Hayley, right?" Rebekah raised an eyebrow.

"Never met her, but I heard that she was a tramp." Cassandra deadpanned.

"Well, she pregnant." She said and the hybrid simply shrugged.

"That doesn't surprise me. Wolves don't know how to keep their legs clos-"

"With Klaus's child." Rebekah interrupted with a vicious smirk. Cassandra's mind suddenly went blank as she stared back at the Original sister. A child? Hayley was carrying Klaus's child?!

The hybrid let out a string of laughs, shaking her head. "No way. That's impossible."

"Oh, it's possible, Cassandra. I know that I could never imagine Nik as a father, but-"

"You're lying." She growled angrily and the blonde took phone out of her pocket.

"I can call Elijah. After all, he's the one that told me." Without even waiting for Cassandra to reply, she was holding the phone to her ear, listening to it ring.

_"Rebekah?"_ Elijah promptly answered on the second ring. _"Is everything alright?"_ Worry was laced in his tone in the fear that Silas was pestering his little sister. Rebekah didn't even get the chance to answer since Cassandra ripped the phone from her hand.

"Elijah, please tell me it's not true." She begged into the receiver.

_"Cassandra? What are you talking about?"_ He asked.

"You know very well what I'm talking about," Cassandra couldn't even form the word "baby". It left a bad taste in her mouth. She feared that if she did utter that very word that it would all be true. Rebekah smirked on as she watched her nemesis break down. "Tell me it's a lie, Elijah!"

The entire room remained silent, even Elijah was speechless for what seemed like hours. He knew that she wanted a baby more than anything and he had guessed that Rebekah had done this intentionally to spite Cassandra. After clearing his throat, Elijah gave her a very grave answer.

_"Hayley is carrying Klaus's child."_

It hit her like an atomic bomb, corroding her brain till it was nothing but a pile of dust. Klaus...was going to be...a father? The wind was nearly knocked out of her and tears burned her eyes, threatening to fall. Her breathing was labored, coming out in shallow pants as she let the phone drop from her ear even though she could hear Elijah calling her name. She flashed to Rebekah, holding onto her neck tightly.

"I should kill you," Cassandra hissed dangerously.

"You can't," Rebekah rasped gleefully. "Klaus took the white oak stake with him to New Orleans."

Cassandra clenched her teeth and tightened her grip even more. Normally, Rebekah would be able to fight her off, but Cassandra's rage was so great it was affecting her strength. "I guess I'll have to improvise." With a rough snap, she dislocated Rebekah's spine and tossed her limp body to the floor. Cassandra looked upon the still Original with empty eyes, the tears that had escaped were now drying and her anger subsided. Everything about her was suddenly different, but the most profound were how her eyes were no longer filled with life. They were cold and dull, all traces of old self were gone. She was a shell of the woman she once was. Cassandra felt wonderfully numb as a malicious smirk painted her lips and she stepped over Rebekah's body. Hunger tugged at her veins and she was feeling the need to rip open a few throats.

* * *

**New Orleans**

An hour or so later, Giuliana and Hayley were silently stewing in the home Elijah had rented for himself and the ex-hunter to stay in. The two women hadn't said a word to one another after the whole pregnancy bomb exploded. Sick of just sitting around, Giuliana proceeded to unpack her things in an effort to keep her mind off of thinking about Klaus. They hadn't seen one another since the meeting in the mausoleum and she was worried that he just stalked off. She knew that she shouldn't be angry at Klaus for sleeping with Hayley, after all they were not in a relationship by any stretch of the imagination, but it hurt her.

"Remind me why I get dragged into these things again?" Giuliana huffed as she threw her suitcase onto the bed.

"Beats me," Hayley shrugged and picked at her cuticles.

"I figured that I'd be enjoying the sights, not babysitting a werewolf baby mama." She grumbled and sifted through her things, eager to get clothes on hangers and into the closet. Hayley didn't respond to the insult, she was too nervous to fight back. These past few days had been absolute hell for her. She'd gone to New Orleans in the hopes of finding some sort of paper trail that would lead to her parents, but that mission was thwarted by a bunch of witches kidnapping her and holding her up in a bayou. As if that wasn't enough, she was now pregnant with Klaus's freaky werewolf baby. Hayley stood and made her way over to where Giuliana was methodically hanging her clothes.

"Look, I know we have our issues. You don't like me," the werewolf stated.

Giuliana scoffed. "Clearly."

"But we're both stuck in this together and..." Hayley's voice trailed off as she looked down to her stomach. She placed a hand over it and met Giuliana's eyes. "I'm scared."

The ex-hunter's eyes softened a little and she sighed deeply. She stopped her work and faced the wolf, giving her a little smile. "I know that you're scared, but we're all going to protect you and help you through this, okay?" The werewolf nodded, her nerves calming a little.

"Thank you."

"I guess we should stock up on chew toys for when the baby comes..." Hayley scowled and Giuliana held up her hands. "Last dog joke, I swear. Unless you piss me off, then its fair game." She laughed and Hayley did too. Perhaps these two would learn to get along. Hayley stayed a little longer to help her unpack and they just enjoyed having a civil conversation with one another.

"So, you and Klaus?" Hayley questioned with a smirk.

Giuliana shook her head, continuing with her work. "What about it?"

"Well, I know that he likes you and I did catch you two practically having sex in that chair." She wrinkled her nose.

"Thanks for reminding me," the ex-hunter deadpanned.

"That night when he...called me to come over, he was drunk as a skunk and said that you rejected him." She said.

"He killed my brother." The woman frowned. "I had to stop myself from falling for his hollow charm."

"It was pretty pathetic actually," Hayley sighed. "Never seen a man wallow in self pity and I'm sure you're hurt that I'm pregnant with this miracle baby."

"Look, uhm, I'm really tired, so I'm just going to finish this tomorrow." Giuliana jumped on the tail end of Hayley's words. She was quickly becoming overwhelmed and her mind kept going back to Klaus.

Hayley's gaze met the floor and she nodded. "Sure, I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for everything." Giuliana simply nodded as she rushed around her room just to tidy it up a bit before heading to bed. Once the wolf was gone, Giuliana snatched up a mug from the end table and launched it at the wall, but the sound of glass breaking never came to her.

"You never had good aim," Klaus tsked as he gently placed the glass down and Giuliana shifted her weight on her feet.

"Still want to kill off your own child? Or did Elijah convince you not to?" She asked snidely.

"All of this...it's all a mistake." He said.

"Like the part when you slept with Hayley." The brunette growled and he rushed to tower over her.

"Why should you care?" He asked her and she looked away from him. Klaus took her chin in his hands, directing her gaze to meet his.

"I shouldn't, but I do." She replied quietly as his thumb ran back and forth over her jaw line.

"I know you shouldn't care, but tell me why you do." He wasn't compelling her, but his deep, soothing tone was making her slowly unravel before him. Her lips opened and closed, trying to form some kind of sound, but she was speechless.

Klaus stepped closer, so their bodies were touching and his face moved closer to hers. He stared intimately into her deep green pools before gazing upon her soft lips. He could see them trembling slightly and the hand on her chin moved to cup the back of her neck.

"Klaus," she whimpered.

"Tell me why." His breath was hot against her lips.

"Just please leave." Giuliana tried to move away from him, but he then shoved her against the wall, trapping her. She looked up at him fearfully, if this was any other situation, she would have fought back but Klaus just had this hold over her.

"Niklaus." The woman looked past Klaus's shoulder to see Elijah standing tall in the doorframe. "I believe she asked you to leave." His tone was firm and not negotiable as his oak brown eyes pierced through his brother's back. The hybrid peered down at the woman and slowly loosened his grip on her. He leaned down, his eye were level with hers.

"This isn't over, Giuliana." He promised and turned on his heel, roughly shoving past his brother's shoulder without so much as giving him a second glance. Giuliana let out a shaky breath as Elijah met her with worry written all over his face.

"I'm fine," she held her hand up, stopping his words before he could even form them. Giuliana side stepped him, but Elijah took hold of her hand.

"I apologize for my brother's behavior." He said sincerely. "As you can imagine he is on edge."

"And so am I." Giuliana took her hand back and rushed around her room, grabbing a pair of pajamas.

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked curiously.

"Your brother put his charms on me, but I denied him, so he went to Hayley." She replied hastily. "I shouldn't be mad..."

"Giuliana," he appeared in front of her.

"I just want to be alone, Elijah." She took a few steps back from him. "Please, just let me be." The Original frowned deeply, pocketing his hands. He didn't mean to make her uncomfortable, but clearly his intentions were rubbing her the wrong way. He saw the way that she and Klaus interacted with one another back then and even now. They shared some special connection even though the two of them were too stubborn to admit it. Very slowly, he nodded and let her pass.

"As you wish," he uttered and she darted past him, her green eyes glued to the floor.

* * *

**Mystic Falls**

Matt Donavan huffed as he wiped down the surface of the bar with a damp rag. The Grill had been busy all day and he couldn't wait to head home and put his feet up. The crowds had slowly dwindled and only a few customers were around and gathering their things to leave for the night. Matt tossed the rag aside and picked up the trash can from behind the bar. It was his last duty before he had to leave, so he was sure to make it quick. He pushed open the door to the alley just off the side of the Grill and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

There he saw Cassandra feeding on a young man, quite messily actually. He had bite marks on any visible piece of skin and blood was flowing freely to puddle on the floor. Just by the dumpster, there was a pile of dead bodies, each one drained of blood. The blue eyed quarterback quickly retreated back into the bar, Cassandra was too engrossed in her meal to have seen him, and he took out his phone.

_"What do you want, Donovan?"_ Damon grumbled.

"Your wife is draining bodies in the alleyway behind the Grill."

Damon was silent for a few moments, but Matt could hear him getting angry. _"Son of a-" _The vampire let out a string of curse words before composing himself again. _"Just whatever you do, don't let her see you. She shut her emotions halfway off."_

"You mean, like what Elena did?" He asked.

_"You've broken your dumb jock stereotype, but yes, kind of like what Elena did."_ Damon told him. _"She's really unstable, Matt, so just lay low. And, please, don't do anything stupid."_ Damon then hung up and Matt looked around to see that everyone in the Grill had gone and he was all alone. He tried to keep himself calm, but he couldn't exactly do that knowing that Cassandra was just outside the Grill. His pulse was ringing in his ears and he took an empty bottle from the garbage, cracking it over the side of the bar to make it into a jagged point. If Cassandra was to come after him, he'd at least have a weapon to fight with. He gripped the neck of the bottle and whipped around hearing a creak in the floorboards. The palms of his hands grew sweaty and adrenaline was making his entire body tremble. He gulped nervously, unsure for how much longer his human body could be under this much stress. A finger tickled the back of his neck and he turned around only to see that he was jabbing at nothing, but turned back around to see Cassandra standing there.

She looked absolutely gruesome, like something out of a horror movie. Blood stained her clothes and was matted to her hands and the tips of her hair. It ran down her lips and over her chin, glistening in the dim lighting of the Grill. Her eyes were very dark, almost black as she smirked at him with fangs fully bared.

"Well, are you going to just stand there?" She hissed and Matt stepped back from her. "Or are you going to offer me a drink?"

"Stay away from me." He waved the broken bottle at her and she barely moved, unfazed by the jagged glass.

"I guess I'll have to make my own drink then." Wisps of amber mingled with the darker parts of her eyes and she lunged for his neck. The quarterback recoiled but the hybrid was stopped in her tracks by a stake going through her back. She stumbled forward, reaching around to grasp at it and saw Damon standing there with a stake gun.

"Going after football players? That's a little low even for you." He cocked the gun, aiming at her should she move again.

Smirking, she retracted the stake from her back and twiddled it between her bloody hands. "Come to check in on me?"

"Actually, I'm here to ask you why there are bodies outside the Grill." He said.

"I was hungry," she purred, licking her lips. "And I still want more." Cassandra spun around feeling Matt sneak up behind her and bit into his neck. He tried to attack her, but her sense of hearing was just too good for him. She didn't even get the chance to really enjoy her meal since she felt a needle being stuck in her back and the fatal concoction of vervain and wolfsbane enter her veins. Her limbs weakened and she fell back into Damon's arms as she fought consciousness. Matt held his neck to stop the bleeding and Damon situated his wife in his grip.

"I told you not to do anything stupid," the vampire scolded.

"Hey, man, she attacked me first." Matt argued and looked down at Cassandra whose eyes had fallen closed. "What the hell happened to her?"

Damon frowned, swallowing his pride. "She only had her emotions shut off halfway, but now they are completely off."

"Did something trigger it?" He asked.

"I'll have to find that out when she gets up." Damon replied and jerked his head to some blood on the floor. "Clean this mess up. I'm going to take her home."

* * *

**New Orleans**

Sleep hadn't come easily for Giuliana, so she snuck out of the house and headed down to a bar that was nestled on the streets in the Quarter. Her mind was swirling with thoughts of Klaus and the baby and she couldn't make them stop. They nagged her like a child vying for attention from their parents and she was now sporting a splitting headache. She was nursing a glass of red wine when she heard some men talking.

"I don't like it, Marcel. I don't like it at all." She didn't dare turn her head; she didn't want her cover to be blown. Elijah and Sophie had warned her to stay away from Marcel until the time was right, but this situation had come to her as a complete surprise. She lifted her glass to her lips, sipping quietly ad she kept listening.

"He healed him." A smooth voice said and she could have only guess that belonged to the King of the Quarter himself, Marcel. "What's done is done."

"But he broke one of your rules and you're letting him walk free!" The man argued heatedly and Giuliana sneakily peeked over her shoulder to get a closer look.

"My hands are tied, Diego." The darker skinned man replied. "But Klaus healed the guy and he is my sire. He taught me everything I know. I can't turn my back on him." He must have felt someone's eyes on him and his gaze met Giuliana's. The woman immediately turned back around and cursed herself for her inability to listen to orders. She heard Marcel whisper something to his crony and she pushed her nerves down, suffocating them as to not alarm the vampire or make him suspicious of her presence. She took a few more sips and she noticed that someone slipped onto the stool next to her.

"Hi there," she glanced at Marcel who was smiling charmingly at her. "I've never seen you around here before. You new?"

"Visiting." Giuliana said, swirling her glass around.

"Well, a woman like you shouldn't be at a bar so late at night." Marcel purred. "There are dangerous people out there."

"Don't I know it?" She smirked.

"I'm Marcel." He held out his hand and she eyed it cautiously.

"I'm not telling you my name," she shook her head. "After all, there are dangerous people out there." It was a dig at him, but Giuliana would hardly let herself become Marcel's little toy.

Marcel's smirk grew even wider, clearly amused that this little thing had such a sharp tongue and was even daring to try and challenge him. He could sniff out the fact that she was a human from across the bar and he always enjoyed new meat.

"Maybe I am dangerous, but how would you know?" He asked and she pursed her lips.

"I guess I wouldn't, but I call them like I see them." Giuliana leaned in close to Marcel, sizing him up. "And a little red flag is going off in my head when I see you, so I guess you are dangerous."

The vampire was ready to retort, when Diego had come back, eagerly waiting for Marcel to end his conversation. The dark skinned man nodded to his friend and hopped off his stool, casting a look to Giuliana again. "I'll be seeing you around?"

Giuliana smirked again, shrugging her shoulders coyly. "Maybe you will, maybe you won't." Marcel and Diego left without another word and the two vampires continued their chatter.

"So much for dessert," Marcel grunted.

"C'mon, her? You managed to let a morsel like her get away?" Diego quipped.

"She's a firecracker that one, but don't worry, my friend, no one ever said that it was over." The vampire grinned and they left the bar.

Giuliana finally relaxed back in her chair hearing them leave and let out a shaky breath. She figured that it wouldn't be a smart move to tell Elijah that she met with Marcel. Reaching inside her purse to take out some money, the bartender picked up her empty glass.

"Good to know that there are women who don't give it up to the first guy they see," the blonde girl chuckled as she wiped down where Giuliana's glass had been.

The brunette looked questioningly up at her, clearly taken off guard by her comment. "I'm sorry?"

"That guy, Marcel. He tried to pick me up earlier too." She explained with a scowl. "I guess when one girl doesn't fall for his charms, he moves to the next one."

"I know too many men like that." Giuliana sighed deeply, her mind immediately going back to Klaus. She didn't bend to him, so he moved onto the next girl.

"Me too. I'm Camille, by the way." She gave her a warm, friendly smile. "Cami for short."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Giuliana." Reaching into her bag, she placed a twenty dollar bill on the bar. "Thanks for the talk and I'll see you around."

"No problem. Anytime." Cami took the money and tucked it into the pocket of her apron. "Get home safe, okay?"

"I will." She grabbed her purse and left the bar, making sure to look over her shoulder twice to make sure that she wasn't being followed, but she was unaware that she was being watched.

* * *

**Mystic Falls**

"Rise and shine." Cassandra groaned out at the cheery voice that was much louder and closer to her than she'd have liked it to be. It was followed by the sounds of a lock sliding to the side and a door being pushed open to which Cassandra cracked open her eyes. Her entire body was achy and cold, maybe the reason for that was that she was sleeping on the floor in a cell. As she struggled to sit up, she saw Stefan crouching in front of her.

"Have a nice nap?" He asked with a smirk and she scowled at him. "You don't look so good."

"I'm hungry," Cassandra then looked down at her wrists to see trails of dried blood and the skin had healed over. "What..."

"I decided to bleed you out because you were fighting the toxin Damon gave you." Stefan replied. "I had to find some way to keep you down." Cassandra was ready to give him an insult when he produced a blood bag from behind his back. Her eyes were focused on the blood encased in plastic and she yanked it from his hands. Stefan didn't try to stop her, instead he just watched her rip open the top of the bag with her fangs and start drinking. The hybrid moaned out in pleasure, feeling her strength come back to her when-

Vervain.

Cassandra spit up the burning liquid, retching to get up what she had swallowed while Stefan chuckled to himself. "You sneaky son of a-"

"Good, keep going with that. How does that make you feel? Hurt because I'd betray you? Angry because I'd cause you pain? Or scared, because you know it's gonna get a lot worse?" Angrily, she threw the blood pack at him, but it missed him just barely and splattered against the wall. "I'm gonna go with angry."

"You've never seen me without emotions, Stef." She grinned evilly. "You're in for a real treat."

"Oh, I'm sure I am." He said. "But as much as I'd love to see you without a scrap of humanity, my brother won't allow you to keep going on like this." Pulling every ounce of strength that she had left in her, Cassandra flashed to the open door, but stopped in her tracks; Damon was blocking the doorway. She looked back over her shoulder at Stefan to see that he was now standing and both brothers were preventing her from leaving the cell.

"I suggest that you get comfy, Cass." Damon ordered gruffly and she peered up at him.

"You boys wanna play games? Go ahead. Let's see who breaks first. Me...or you." She threatened and Damon walked further into the cell. He gripped the handle on the heavy door and pulled it closed with a loud slam, locking all three of them in the cell.

* * *

****It seems like the tables are turning in a very interesting way. Cassandra will be very different now with her emotions off and Damon and the gang will struggle to get her back to normal again. Please, please, please review! I want this story to pass "You and I" which is now at 500 and its still going!** **

**ADORATIO: Thank you for reviewing! Yes, my heart broke for Damon and Cassandra too :( It hurts me to have them hurting, but perhaps something happy might happen for them.**

**Silently Tearful: Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter even though Cassandra turned off her emotions. It was only a matter of time before Cassandra shut it off and now it will be a struggle for her to turn them back on.**

**vikki . dillard: Thank you for posting your review! I agree, that was some hot-hybrid "almost sex" LOL! I don't really get what you mean by: "i hope that she comes out of it before damon dies!"? Gaahh! Please specify, girl!**

**Daisy96: Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, this chapter was cruel, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it! I want Damon and Cassandra to get what they want in the end too! As far as an Originals based fanfiction, I am planning on moving Giuliana over to the Originals show. I also have some ideas for a separate Klaus/OC story that would follow the Originals storyline. I'll have to see about the both of them when the show air again.**

**Whitttyyy76: Thank you for reviewing! I know, it was even sader for me to write :'( I want this baby to happen for Damon and Cassandra, but Silas is just too cruel to let it happen. Well, after reading this chapter, you know that she did, in fact, shut off her emotions and I'd be interested to hear your predictions about the next chapter.**

**Tvdlover87654: Thanks for reviewing, girl! The pregnancy was too good to be true, but Silas is just a sneaky little bastard who likes to play with people's minds. The ending was really sad for me to write and even read, but there are no promises that Silas won't mess with her head anymore. The flashbacks between Klaus/Giuliana and Elijah/Giuliana were so much fun to write and I hope that I can whip up some more! Hehe, well, Klaus slept with Hayley in a moment of weakness, but it was amusing to have him kick her out of bed.**

**Guest: Thank you for reviewing! Yes, yes, yes :( Cassandra did shut off her emotions and I know that it will kill Damon, but it will be interesting to see what lengths he will go to in order to get her back to normal.**

**grapejuice101: Thanks, girl! Here is your update :D**

**Guest: Thank you for posting a review! I'm glad that you enjoyed this chapter even though it left you heartbroken in the end :( It is hard for me to make Damon and Cassandra struggle, but hopefully she'll get herself back soon.**

**Somebody Who Cares: Thanks for reviewing! It was nice to see Cassandra get what she wanted, but it was heartbreaking to have it taken away from her :( Hopefully these two will get what they want in the end. As for the sex tape, I'd watch it ;)**

**xoxobianca13: Thank you, thank you :D I am really excited to close this chapter on the show, but I'm even more excited to see what Season 5 has in store for me! Damon/Cassandra and Klaus/Giuliana are pretty awesome couples and I'm happy that people are enjoying their chemistry! I'm hoping to update my other stories with the summer coming up, so keep a look out for them!**

**CharmedGirl92: Thank you so much for reviewing :D Yes, poor Cassandra :( I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll talk to you soon!**

**Lycan Lover 411: Thanks for reviewing! I liked writing that flashback too! It was cute and sexy at the same time! Well, I can see Damon wearing a pair of grey sweatpants with the draw string hanging and the waistband slug low around his hips...*wipes drool* I like to use my imagination ;) Well, I'm glad that I was able to make you cry even though it was hard to make Cassandra and Damon break down in the way that they did. Silas is a little cheeky bastard and I'm kind of anxious to see what his other plans will be. I really enjoy writing flashback and the one with Elijah and Giuliana I had written for a long time and I was looking for a place to put it in and I finally found it! YAY! Unfortunately, Cassandra did turn it off and it will be a struggle for Damon to make her turn it back on.**

**spankbabygirl88: Thank you so much for your review! I wish that season 4 was really like this too! Now, only if Julie Plec would read this story...LOL! Damon and Cassandra are pretty awesome and I really wish that they were in the show.**

**Guest: Here's your update! Thanks for reviewing!**

**TruffleWomenz: Weeellll, it looked like she did turn it off :( It'll be hard for Damon to make Cassandra turn it back on, but I hope you'll enjoy it! Thank you for reviewing!**


	26. She's Come Undone

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 26: She's Come Undone**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. I only own my characters and plot ideas.**

****This chapter is dedicated to Brandi (endlessfashionnn on tumblr) because it was her birthday on July 2nd! Hope you had an amazing birthday, girl and I realy hope this chapter makes it even better :)****

****Check at the bottom for a reply to your reviews :)****

* * *

Stefan bounded down the steps, standing beside his brother. "You still have her locked in the safe? You've been in her head for an hour. What, still nothing?"

Damon didn't respond, but walked over to the safe and knocked on it. "How you doing in there?" He'd been giving her dreams to try and make her realize what she was missing out on with her emotions turned off, but she managed to weasel her way out of all of them. He unlocked the safe and pulled the door open, revealing a very weak and barely conscious Cassandra slumped inside. Damon's heart dropped and he frowned visibly; he didn't want to do this to her, but it was the only way to keep her down. "Come on," he moved closer to her and pulled her out roughly to make her stand up, but she was so boneless and frail that she just fell to the ground. He crouched down in front of her and tenderly brushed some of her hair out of her eyes.

"Is the old you ready to come out and play?"

Cassandra drew back from him, a deathly glare in her eyes. "Go to hell." Her voice was raspy and gravelly, but her tone managed to get across that she wasn't in the mood for anyone.

The raven haired vampire made a face and shrugged, pretending as if that reaction from her didn't hurt him. "Okay. Back you go." Just as roughly as he pulled her out of the safe, he shoved her back in and locked the door.

"We can do this the nice way, or we can do it the other way, but either way, we're not stopping until you turn your humanity switch back on." He told her through the wall of the safe. "So I'm gonna let you think about that, and I'm gonna come back for you in a couple hours, or a couple years, because all we have is time." He patted the door and turned to Stefan who looked a little distressed.

"Damon—"

"I'm gonna need another drink if I have to keep treating her like this," he brushed past him and upstairs with his brother close in tow.

"I know that it's hard, but you're doing the right thing," Stefan told his brother in an effort to make him feel better about his methods for getting Cassandra to turn her switch back on.

"Did Lexi ever lock you up in a safe and starve you for days?" He asked snidely before taking a long swig from a bottle he found behind the bar.

"No, but she did things that seemed unconventional and somehow they worked. She'd let me feel pain and then other emotions would come through." Stefan said.

Damon finally removed his lips from the top of the bottle and swallowed, allowing the amber liquid to burn his throat on the way down. "But Lexi was your best friend, Stef. This is my wife we're talking about."

"I know, Damon, but you're doing all of these things to bring her back. She may hate you now, but she'll learn to get over it." Stefan knew that Damon was starting to fray at the ends, but he had to keep telling his brother that he was doing the right thing.

"I have to find her trigger," the raven-haired vampire mumbled.

"Okay, then let's think about this." Stefan then started to pace. "The incident with Silas at the prom shook her up, right?"

"Shook her up? More like devastated her!" Damon corrected.

"But that caused her to shut her humanity off only halfway."

"Leave it to my wife to find a halfway switch," he grumbled.

"I'm serious, Damon." Stefan glared. "So, something must have happened after the prom to set her off."

"Thanks, Sherlock Holmes," Damon rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "But how are we going to find out that something? She's not talking."

"We'll let her enjoy solitary confinement for another little while longer and then we'll make her talk." He said.

His brother raised a curious eyebrow. "Are you suggesting a "good cop, bad cop" thing?"

"And I'll even let you pick which cop you want to be." Stefan reassuringly patted his brother on the shoulder.

"I don't care if I have to be both cops, Stefan. I just want her back." Damon said sadly.

* * *

"Where is she? I wanna see her." Elena demanded lividly as she stormed inside the living room of the boarding house.

"We're not letting anyone see her; that's the whole point. Isolation leads to misery leads to emotion." Stefan stopped her from heading towards the basement.

"She's been here for days. She hasn't improved at all?" She asked.

"Look, she doesn't want to, Elena, not yet. She's devastated; she was tricked into thinking that she and Damon finally got the one thing they've always wanted, only to have it be one big lie." He frowned and so did Elena.

"God, I just, I feel so bad for her."

"I know you do. We all do and we're trying to help her."

"How? By torturing her?" She growled.

Stefan shook his head. "It's not torture; it's an intervention. The only chance we have with her is to provoke her, to trigger something. Fear, anger, self-pity, anything."

Elena nervously shifted back and forth on her own feet. "Let me talk to her. Before you do anything else."

"Elena—"

"If she's weak, she can't hurt me. Please, just let me try." She begged and she could still see that Stefan was reluctant to let her go, but he gently took her by the arm and lead her downstairs. Standing outside Cassandra's cell, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Good luck." Elena nodded, biting her lip before unlocking the cell door and stepping inside.

Cassandra lifted her cold eyes to the girl who had just entered her cell and smirked evilly. "Well, look who's here. The little madam herself."

Elena sighed, shaking that off, and pulled a bottle of blood from the pocket of her jeans. "I brought you something." Cassandra licked her dry cracked lips but remembered that Stefan had spiked her blood bag, so Elena was sure to do the same thing. "It doesn't have any vervain in it, I swear. I just figured a little blood might help you think straight." She kneeled down to Cassandra and handed her the bottle. The hybrid snatched it up, uncorked the bottle with her teeth and downed the entire thing. She was much happier to have a little fix since Damon and Stefan wouldn't give her any. Once she finished, she placed the bottle on the floor and eyed the young vampire.

"So, what's got you feeling sympathetic?"

"I don't agree with what they're doing to you." Elena said. "Torturing you is not the way to get you to turn your emotions back on. They don't need to make you suffer."

Cassandra's cold eyes lifted to meet Elena's and the young vampire knew immediately that this person was a shell of the woman she called her friend. "And what makes you an expert on who I am?"

"We've been friends for a few years, Cassandra."

"Listen, I helped to turn you into a vampire for my own selfish need to be alive again. You hated me. You said so yourself." She growled.

"That was a while ago and I wasn't myself. Just like how this person isn't who you are. I'm not giving up on you and neither is Damon." The brunette proclaimed but Cassandra just shrugged her shoulders. Elena moved close, sitting right in front of Cassandra and uttered softly. "Stefan told me about what happened...with Silas." The hybrid slammed her fist against the glass bottle that held her blood fix and Elena jumped back slightly by her outburst of anger. Cassandra fished around on the stone floor for a long piece of glass and she tested the jagged point on the pad of her finger.

"Cassandra, I'm so sorry." She added and the hybrid chuckled to herself.

"Can you believe that I actually let myself believe it? That it was all real? That everything I wanted for Damon and I was coming true?" The whole time she that she was speaking, she was drawing patterns with the pointed tip over her wrist. Elena gulped nervously, hoping that her friend wasn't planning on harming herself. "It makes me look stupid if you ask me."

"No, it doesn't make you stupid." Elena shook her head. "You had hope, and you've always had hope whenever things were down. Don't lose hope because we're not losing hope for you."

"I was hoping that you'd just shut your mouth and leave, but it doesn't look like that's happening anytime soon." She spat.

Elena sighed, she really thought that her pep talk would at least help Cassandra to see that she was loved. "You're in pain, you're lashing out, I get it. But you can't stay this way forever."

Cassandra smirked widely, clearly amused by the little vampire. "Who says I can't?" Elena didn't answer; her eyes went back to watching Cassandra toy with the piece of glass. She overheard Damon and Stefan talking about a trigger that must have set Cassandra off. Just like Jeremy's death triggered her downfall, she needed to find Cassandra's before she ripped the town apart.

"What made you do it?" She asked her and Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Oh God; not this again."

"Tell me what happened, Cassandra. I want to know." She begged and could see Cassandra quickly becoming irritated with her presence.

"If you don't leave this cell in the next five seconds, I'm going to cut your head off." The hybrid threatened and tightened her grip on the glass.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what happened." Elena growled demandingly and Cassandra had enough of her constant whining. With a quick slash, the piece of glass slit Elena's neck and blood spurted everywhere from the wound. The young vampire held her throat, gasping and groaning in pain as she tried to stop the bleeding and willing her body to heal it.

"Your five seconds are up, Elena. One more laceration and your head will come clean off." She grinned viciously before charging at her, but Elena was quicker. The two women held each other at arm's length and Cassandra wasted no time in gashing the glass into Elena's arms.

"Cassandra, stop it!" Elena shouted as she watched her fangs descend and her eyes grow impossibly darker. The hybrid growled loudly, baring her double set of fangs and shoving Elena to the wall. The vampire head butted Cassandra and she took her head in her hands, jerking it to the right and watching as she fell to the cold floor in a heap. Darting from the cell and making sure to lock the door behind her, Elena ran into Stefan who was about to question her about her extensive wounds, but her firm words stopped him.

"You and Damon do whatever you have to do."

* * *

Damon roughly kicked the side of Cassandra's chair and she stirred slowly. Bleary eyes cracked open and Cassandra moved to realize that she wasn't in her dark cell anymore. She was strapped to a chair in the living room of the boarding house. The hybrid struggled with her tight bonds, but her skin sizzled; they had been soaked in vervain.

"Good, you're awake," Damon said and she rolled her eyes.

"You know, I was enjoying my nap. It's all I can do since you locked me in a safe." She glared.

"Well, let's call this a little recess." Stefan said from his spot at the window.

"If being tied to a chair and forcing me to spend time with you two is considered recess, than I'd much rather be in that safe."

"Someone's awfully cranky." The raven haired vampire tsked and his blue eyes found her wedding ring that rested on her finger. He uncurled her clenched fist with little effort and dangled it in front of her. "Oh, you know the rules-bad girls don't get nice jewelry."

Cassandra sighed dramatically as he tucked the ring in his pocket. "You took my ring. I'm devastated. And bored. Can I go back to solitary confinement now?"

"No. I kinda like you in the hot seat." He smirked widely at her and nodded to Stefan. "Whenever you're ready, brother." The younger Salvatore sauntered to Cassandra with a few sprigs in his gloved hands.

"Am I supposed to be scared?" She asked them and Damon now took his brother place by the window. The curtains were closed with only the slightest sliver on sunlight peeking through.

"You will be. And when you are, focus on that fear. It's the key to getting your humanity back." Stefan explained. "And since you can't burn because you're a hybrid, we've decided to move to something more extreme." As he spoke, he lifted a sprig of vervain braided with wolfsbane to her cheek. Ever so slowly, he trailed it over her skin and she hissed under her breath.

"Is this the worst you can do?" She growled at the brothers.

"Not quite." Stefan said and fished a lighter from his pocket with the other hand. "You see, we've had to keep you without blood for...how long?" Cassandra didn't answer, she just continued to bare the pain of the sprigs against her face. "And when a vampire goes without blood for an extended period of time, they become weak and the skin becomes dry."

She knew where they were going with this. It was a sick and creative way to torture her, but the brothers would try anything to get her back. "You won't burn me."

"You don't think so?" Damon mussed.

"No. And even if you do manage to get my emotions back, I'll remember all this, and I'll hate both of you for it." She promised as she felt layers of her skin melting off.

"Worth the risk." Stefan grinned and Damon gulped as he watched his brother bring the lighter to the herbs against her skin. The combination of the heat and her already burning skin caused small embers to glow. Pressing the sprigs harder against her, the skin broke out in flames and Cassandra howled loudly. The flames spread like a wildfire, along her face and down her neck as she yanked against the ties that bound her. She couldn't see it, but Damon was shaking with anger as he watched her scream. They felt each other's pain and it was hard for Damon to let Stefan hurt her, but he had to get the only woman in his life back. Hearing enough, Stefan doused her with a fire extinguisher that they brought up. Little wisps of smoke rose from her healing skin and the holes closed up over the muscle and bone.

Stefan set the fire extinguisher down beside the chair. "Now, I'm sure that feels better. How about a little gratitude, or any human emotion whatsoever, and we can stop this?" Cassandra was still gasping, her face throbbing from the fire. She continued to strain against her bonds and she mumbled something under her breath.

Damon walked over to her, abandoning his post at the window. He placed a finger under her chin and craned her head up so he could look at her. "I didn't quite catch that."

Cassandra jerked her head away from him, some of her hair falling over her eyes. "I said, I'm gonna kill you."

"Bingo. See? There's a little rage." Damon praised. "I should've figured that'd be the first emotion that came out of you. I tend to pull that out of people."

"Don't I know it? I am married to you after all." She spat. He crouched down in front of her and their eyes met. Damon didn't recognize the woman tied to the chair, it was a shell of his wife.

"We don't wanna do this, okay? You can stop this right now. It's your choice." Damon told her sincerely, but Cassandra's lips just spread into a dangerous grin.

"That's sweet, Damon. I'm practically getting cavities." She laughed evilly and looked to Stefan who was gathering more herbs. "And you, I bet you're getting a load of torturing me. I'm sure this was your sick idea and you probably got it from Lexi. Thank God she's dead. She was such a buzz kill." Stefan's face fell and his fist clenched as he glared at her insensitive comment about his best friend.

"Wow. That was downright vindictive." Damon tsked. "See? I think now we're breaking through that tough candy shell and getting into the ooey-gooey rich center of your humanity. This is good." He brought his hands in front of him and rubbed them together. "Now, we're curious about something, Cass. What made you turn it off?"

Cassandra didn't answer. She kept herself quiet and tapped her nails against the wood of the chair. "That's for me to know and for you to dot, dot, dot." The raven haired vampire clicked his teeth and snatched some vervain from Stefan. His own skin burned because he didn't have a glove, but he didn't show it. He then gripped Cassandra's neck and held the sprigs there, burning her.

"No more games." He growled. "Either you tell us, or we'll force it out of you."

"Let me guess," Cassandra breathed roughly. "This is gonna hurt you a lot more than it hurts me?"

Damon leaned in close and motioned for the lighter which Stefan placed in his hand. "Just like you said, Cass. We'll see who breaks first. Me?" He clicked the lighter on, the tiny flame sparking up. "Or you?" Damon gritted his teeth before brushing the ember against her skin. Cassandra lit up and a deafening scream tore itself from her throat.

* * *

Elena cringed as she heard Cassandra start screaming once again and so did Caroline. The two were pacing outside anxiously and the brunette vampire's stomach curdled.

"We have to just keep talking because if we don't, all I can hear are her screams and I think I'm going to be sick." Elena muttered.

"You did tell them to do whatever they had to do to get Cassandra back." Caroline mentioned and worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I know I did, but I didn't think they would torture her." She ran a shaky hand through her hair.

"Torturing Cassandra won't make her turn it back on. That woman has been through hell and back. She's the strongest person I know, so something had to go really wrong for her to go completely berserk." Caroline stated and twiddled her thumbs.

"Well, we have ideas, but we can't pinpoint a reason." Elena said quietly and the blonde looked curiously at her. She beckoned her to come closer so they could not be heard. "Silas tricked her and Damon into thinking that they were...you know." Caroline's expression was one of complexity as she tried to figure out what Elena was talking about. She shook her head, unsure of what she meant. Elena placed her hand on her own stomach and the blonde's eyes immediately went wide with shock.

"Oh God." She covered her mouth.

Elena nodded sadly. "When they both found out that Silas got into their heads, Cassandra was inconsolable. Damon said that she almost turned it off, but he was able to stop her."

"Now I remember..." The blonde hushed.

"Remember what?"

"When I went to pick up my dress, Cassandra left the shop and she looked sick. I followed her and she told me that she was dizzy. She threw up in an alley and she compelled me to forget and not tell Damon."

"She was scared to tell him." Elena concluded.

"But why? A baby is all they ever wanted."

"Think about it, Caroline. If you and Tyler knew that you couldn't have a baby and then you suddenly got knocked up, wouldn't you be the least bit worried of what he'd say?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah...I guess that's true." She shrugged and both girls shared a frightened stare hearing Cassandra wail out loud.

"We have to do something." The brunette shook her head. "We can't let this go on."

"What are we supposed to do, Elena? Damon even said it, she doesn't want to turn her emotions back on." Caroline frowned and looked to see Stefan joining them on the front porch.

"Hey," Elena greeted him sweetly. "How's she doing?"

Stefan rubbed his hand over his face. "Well, she certainly knows how to be difficult. I don't know what else to do."

"Did you at least get a reason why she turned it off out of her?" Caroline asked and the younger Salvatore shook his head tiredly.

"She's not talking, so Damon asked me to leave. He wanted some one-on-one time with her." He said and the girls gaped at him.

"Stefan, you just allowed your brother to torture his own wife. Are you sure that you're doing the right thing?" The brunette vampire mused.

"Yeah, and what if Cassandra does turn it back on and she hates Damon for what he did to her?" Caroline added.

"She'll never forgive him." Elena said sadly.

"Girls, let's not get ahead of ourselves." Stefan tried to calm them down. He asked himself whether or not he was doing the right thing a thousand times, but he always came up empty handed. "Damon knows the risks he's taking with doing this to Cassandra, but she is his wife and I have to let him try his own way."

* * *

Cassandra groaned as Damon yanked the now cool fire poker from her stomach. He moved on to a different method of torture and Cassandra just seemed unmoved by it all. Sure, she'd scream, cry out, and screech at the top of her lungs, but each torturous move didn't make her want to talk at all. It just made her angrier and angrier with each stab of the scalding hot fire poker. The vampire leaned over her, their eyes glaring into one another and Cassandra struggled with her chains and ropes that bound her.

"Are we ready to talk now?" Damon asked calmly and she spat on his cheek. He shrugged nonchalantly and wiped it off, rubbing his hand on his jeans. "I'll take that as a no."

"You're lucky I'm still tied to this goddamn chair!" She seethed. "I wanna rip your heart out so bad right now!"

"So why don't you?" Damon questioned and then smirked down at her. "Oh, wait...you can't."

Cassandra squirmed around in her chair as she watched Damon turn his back to her and crouch in front of the fire place. He stuck the tip of the poker inside, letting it mingle with the roaring flames. He didn't know how much longer he could do this. He had to shut his own emotions off slightly to make himself get through this, but deep down he knew it hurt him to do this to the love of his life.

"Anytime you want to end this, Cass, just let me know." He called as the tip of the poker grew red and hot. "Until such time, we'll continue having our little fun."

"I'm the woman you love, Damon. How much longer do you think you can keep doing this to yourself?" She said. "You'll regret it."

Damon stood once again, blowing on the glowing tip of the poker and sauntering to her. "I already regret it, Cassandra. You think I want to do this to you? I hate causing you pain."

"You look like you're having an awful lot of fun." She scoffed.

"Well, I'm not." He growled and trailed the poker over her thigh. It burned through the fabric of her jeans and disintegrated her skin.

"Stop! Stop it, Damon!" She cried out, tears wetting her cheeks. He ignored her desperate pleas and stabbed through her thigh.

"Tell me why." Damon hissed. "What set you off, Cassandra? What was so traumatic that you shut your humanity off?" He was close to finding out, he could practically feel her resistance crumbling. Cassandra bit her lip so hard that blood trickled down her chin and Damon removed the poker from her thigh and skewered her stomach.

"Why?" He was yelling now, his frustration and anger getting the best of him.

"Damon, stop it!" Stefan's and Elena's voice reached his ears, but he was blind with rage.

"Yes, please stop before you do something that you'll really regret." Cassandra snickered evilly.

Damon pushed the poker even harder and it came out her back and through the chair as well. Cassandra's head was thrown back and she let out the most horrific scream Damon had ever heard in his life. It was so loud that it hurt his own vampire hearing and it made Elena hide her face in Stefan's shoulder. It shook Damon to his core and in seconds the poker was on the floor and he took Cassandra's face in his hands.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Cassandra." He cooed softly to her and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. He'd gone too far and he knew that. Damon brushed some hair out of her face and once Cassandra was calm again, she looked back at him with those same emotionless eyes he'd grown to despise.

"I knew you wouldn't do anything to actually hurt me and you just proved that." She told him with a smirk and Damon felt his blood boiling once again. It didn't work and now he was back at square one again. "So what do I really have to be afraid of?"

* * *

"So, that went well." Stefan sighed as he and Damon paced on the front lawn of the boarding house. Cassandra was put back in solitary confinement once Damon's torture method proved to be a failure and the raven haired vampire was livid.

"Every other vampire turns it on, no problem. You kill, you feed, you do all the awful things that a vampire does, and then when you're done you turn it back on. Why is she being so stubborn?" Damon launched his tumbler of bourbon at the archway over the door in an effort to diffuse some of his anger.

"Because she feels like she has nothing to come back to. Something must have hurt her so bad that-"

"No, she wants to come back," Damon snapped. "Scaring the hell out of her should've worked. Cassandra's smart. She knows we're not gonna hurt her."

Stefan shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "All right, so we get somebody else. Somebody who really will hurt her."

Damon turned and looked questioningly at his brother. "Who?" He then gave an audible groan once he figured out who Stefan was thinking of. "Katherine?!"

"Think about it, she's the reason Cassandra's a vampire, right? They hate each other's guts and Katherine tricked Cassandra about the real cure back in Pennsylvania. So if anybody's gonna provoke an emotion, it's her." Stefan explained.

"So we call her and then what? Beg her to help us out of the kindness of her own heart? Are you kidding me?" Damon growled angrily.

"Katherine was just abandoned by Elijah. She has nothing, she has no one. We invite her into our house to come torture Cassandra? There's no way she's gonna turn that down." His brother reasoned tactfully and turned to see Elena coming towards them.

"Hey, you guys okay?" She asked meekly.

"Just peachy, Elena." Damon spat venomously and the young vampire frowned.

"C'mon, let's get back inside." Stefan moved to usher her back into the house with a gentle hand on her back, but Elena stopped him.

"You go ahead. I want to get some fresh air for a little bit." She told him with a warm smile and he returned it before heading back into the house. Elena placed a hand on Damon's shoulder to comfort him, but he jerked his arm away from her.

"Damon—"

"I don't need your sympathy." He roughly cut her off and she pouted.

"I'm sorry that you have to go through this..." She murmured and stood next to him. "Cassandra's broken and I don't know how to help fix her."

"I can handle it on my own, Elena," the vampire growled.

"But that's the thing, Damon." She faced him now even though he kept his eyes on the horizon. "You can't handle this alone. Look around you, all of us want to help you with this. Cassandra has done so much for me, for you, for all of us and we're not going to let her keep going down this road. We all love her too much." Damon swallowed thickly, his hard gaze softening just slightly and his hard stare into nothingness was now turned on the young vampire. He remained silent, but Elena didn't expect him to say anything to her.

"You're doing the right thing because I know if I still had my emotions off, Cassandra would have locked me in a safe too." Elena said reassuringly. "Just know that you don't have to go through this alone, Damon." She watched him for a moment longer, trying to gauge a reaction from him, but found none. Elena gave him a hopeful smile before trudging back inside, leaving Damon all alone again. He didn't say it, but Elena's words comforted him at a time when he needed it the most and he felt the tiniest glimmer of hope spark inside him again. He dug his cell phone from his pocket and clicked around for a number he rarely called, but a plan was forming inside his head and he needed some extra hands to help him. The phone rang once, twice, three times and the scattered puzzle pieces of Damon's plan came together by the time the call was answered.

_"Well, what can I do for you, Damon?"_

"I need your help."

* * *

"What a beautiful sentiment." Katherine purred as she entered the house grandly.

"Seriously? You can't knock?" Damon grumbled.

Katherine cast him a sideways glance. "Sorry. I didn't realize we were standing on formalities."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Elena hissed angrily.

"You didn't get the memo? I'm here to talk some sense into poor, emotionless Cassandra." She grinned widely.

"Are you out of your mind?" Elena shouted.

"You got a better idea? Unless you want me to lock you up in there with her, I suggest you zip it. Let the adults handle this." Damon growled. "Besides, you're the one who told Stefan and I to do whatever we had to do to get her back."

"I'm getting Stefan." The vampire rushed to the staircase.

"There's no use. He agreed to this." Damon told her.

"But you could give him a little message from me." Katherine smirked and her doppelganger scowled.

"You're on the rebound awfully quick, Katherine." Elena smirked and the vampire moved to rush at her, but Damon held her back and led Katherine downstairs where Cassandra remained locked in the safe.

"She's all yours." Damon said, unlocking the door and leaving Katherine to her business. The vampire cracked open the door and pouted sarcastically at a withering Cassandra.

"Oh, honey, you look awful." She dragged her out of the safe and all Cassandra could do was fall to the floor in a heap.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She coughed.

"Your husband and brother-in-law invited me. They wanna know if you still have a heart." Katherine then grabbed Cassandra and threw her against the stone wall. She plunged a hand into the hybrid's chest and curled her fingers around her beating heart. "There it is. Your bodyguards won't let me kill you, but I can rip your throat out so I don't have to listen to you whine." Cassandra moaned in pain as Katherine gave her heart a rough yank before releasing it and setting her back down on the ground.

"But first, satisfy my curiosity. I'm guessing you heard about the freak baby that Hayley is carrying?" She took a spare rag from the floor of the cell and wiped the blood off her hand.

"Of course I know. That little blonde bitch couldn't help but rub my nose in it." Cassandra rubbed her aching chest. "That's gonna be some messed up kid. I hope it grows up to kill its own father."

"Aww and poor little Cassie can't deal with it." Katherine pouted and gripped Cassandra's throat roughly.

"What if you wanted something so badly and it was taken away from you?" She hissed. "Oh, wait...that's like what happened with Elijah."

Katherine dug her nails into the hybrid's skin and blood trickled down her neck. "You think you're a big shot now, don't you? Elijah left me because Elena turned him against me. If I find out that you were a part of that, I swear, I will feed you your own eyeballs." She started to pull at Cassandra's eyelids and she fought her.

"Why would I have to be a part of that?" The vampire growled and left Cassandra's eyes alone, but still held her throat tightly. "Look at you, self-obsessed egomaniac on the run for five centuries. What good would you be to anyone? You're the definition of damaged goods. No wonder Elijah left you."

"Yeah, I've done some pretty horrible things to survive, but unlike you—poor, delicate Cassandra—I don't turn it off. I deal with it. You wouldn't last a week because you care too much and that is and always will be your weakness." Katherine then shoved Cassandra back into the safe and locked it. She went to move her hand off the lock, but stopped. A vicious grin painted her lips and she pulled the lock back on the safe.

"But I'd love to see you try." She added and climbed the stairs to see Damon sitting in the living room with a blank look on his face. The brunette vampire readied some shot glasses filled with bourbon and proceeded to down some.

"You've got to be kidding me." He murmured quietly. "Klaus and...Hayley?"

"Yup." Katherine sighed and knocked back a few shots of bourbon. "It's sickening, isn't it?"

"That was her trigger..." Damon trailed off sadly.

"You know, I should get some sort of prize for figuring it all out. If it wasn't for me, you'd be torturing her for another few lifetimes." She boasted.

"How about you get out, Katherine?" Damon grumbled.

"Yes, why don't you?" Rebekah chimed in as she sauntered to the bar. She was here with Matt to help him study and she couldn't help but overhear everything. As soon as she was in Damon's line of vision, he flashed from his chair and rushed the blonde to the wall, pinning her there.

"I should break every bone in your body for what you've done." He threatened.

"I guess you finally found out about Klaus and the baby." Rebekah gasped.

"What the hell is going on here?" Stefan asked as he, Elena, Caroline, and Matt came into the room.

"The next time you come near my wife again, you'll be locked in a box so fast you're little blonde head will spin." Damon growled.

"I'd love to see you try, Salvatore." She giggled, but she caught a glance of something over Damon's shoulder that made her face pale.

"Damon..." Stefan called gently and the raven haired vampire was ready to snap at his brother when he heard a low growling coming from behind him.

"Oh my god." Elena hushed and hid herself behind Stefan seeing a white werewolf across the room. Cassandra was glowering in her wolf form and every vampire's panic level in the room was kicked into overdrive. Emotionless Cassandra was enough of a problem, but emotionless Cassandra as a werewolf was an even bigger dilemma.

"Everybody, just stay calm." Matt coached calmly.

"Oops." Katherine snickered. "Looks like I forgot to lock her back in her cage." She was suddenly gone from the house and Damon had unhanded Rebekah to arm himself with a fire poker.

"She won't hurt us." Elena squeaked meekly. "She knows that we're her friends."

"But a werewolf still has the instinct to kill their prey." Stefan kept his girlfriend behind him Caroline and pulled Matt with her, shielding him.

"And I don't think she'd be so willing to heal any of us after we've been torturing her." Damon twirled the poker in his grip and the wolf dragged her sharp claws along the floor, ripping and shredding up the wood.

"Damon, get back. She can kill you." Stefan begged and the wolf barked loudly, snapping her teeth at the vampire.

"I know she can." Damon said, keeping his eyes on Cassandra the entire time.

"She doesn't know what she's doing and we have no idea how she'll react as a werewolf with no emotions." Caroline added desperately.

Cassandra had enough of just waiting around. She stalked closer to the group, her eyes jumping from one object of prey to another. She licked her lips, saliva dripping from her pointed teeth and her growls shook the floor beneath her. She jumped at Damon, tackling him to the floor, but he was able to wedge the fire poker in her jaw to keep her from biting him. Her teeth bent the metal out of shape and her claws made work of his neck, chest and arms. Damon was able to throw her off him and Cassandra snapped the poker in two pieces with one strong snap of her jaw. Shreds of Damon's skin and clothes hung from her claws and she then stalked in front of Stefan who was protecting Elena. Her tail whipped violently and Stefan crouched down low, baring his own fangs. Cassandra then lunged for the couple but was whacked with a fire poker by Caroline. The wolf whirled around and trapped the blonde's arm between her teeth. Caroline screamed loudly as her arm was chewed to pieces. Cassandra was about to bite again when Damon stabbed her with a piece of the broken poker. She yelped and whimpered in pain, letting go of Caroline and she turned on Rebekah who was cowering in the corner. Her teeth sunk into her shoulder and she cried out, but the wolf was yanked off by the scruff of her fur. Cassandra slid against the floor and peered up at Klaus who was standing in front of his sister. She barked viciously, blood dribbling from her mouth and staining her fur.

"You wouldn't want to be doing that, love." Klaus warned and Cassandra stood her ground for a few moments, sizing him up. Deciding that she was done with this lot, she turned and bolted for the stained glass window, throwing her entire body through it. Glass shattered all around, decorating the floor and couches around the living room. For a while, everyone was silent, unable to comprehend what had just occurred here.

"Well, you weren't joking when you said that you needed my help." Klaus said and looked to Caroline who was whimpering in pain in Matt's arms. "You have quite the problem on your hands."

"Where is she going now?" Elena asked as she tended to Caroline. "She could go anywhere."

"Ah, let her run. It's almost nightfall anyway." The hybrid shrugged and bent down to Caroline, feeding her his curative blood.

"My guess is that she's looking for someone to eat." Stefan sighed. "She's been starved of blood for days. I'd be surprised if she doesn't rip the entire town apart."

Klaus removed his wrist from Caroline's lip and he stood. "Now, I'll need you," he then flashed to Damon and gripped his throat tightly. "To come with me."

"Wait! Where are you two going?" Elena demanded.

"You and Stefan are coming with us. Either you two go along with this or I kill you. Understand?" Klaus hissed and Elena and Stefan cast a worried glance to one another, but they followed Klaus out the front door.

* * *

"Psst, Andrew! Did you hear that?"

"I told you for the millionth time, Monica. It's nothing."

"But-"

"Fine. I'll go check, okay?"

The man grumbled as he wrestled his way out of his tent and into the dark forest. He clicked on his flashlight and shook it a little to stop it from flickering. This was supposed to be a romantic camping trip with his girlfriend, but she just couldn't fall asleep. Monica had a tendency to get scared easily and thought nothing of kicking her boyfriend out of their tent to make sure that there were no monsters roaming about. Andrew flicked the flashlight around, shining light over tree roots, dirt and dead leaves. There was no danger and he turned to burrow back in his tent when he heard the crack of a tree branch. His heart leapt up into his chest and his eyes darted around nervously.

"Hello?" He called out into the darkness, but he received no answer. An owl hooted from the trees above and the full moon hung low in the sky. Andrew then heard a low, gruff growl before a loud cry left his lips.

Monica suddenly sat up in her sleeping bag, gasping and clasping her hand over her heart. In a rush, she pushed the bag down her body and rushed out of the tent.

"Andrew!" She exclaimed. "This isn't funny! Come back inside." Monica hugged herself, running her hands up and down her arms to keep herself warm and traipsed around cautiously. She was ready to speak again when another figure could be seen in the darkness. Monica squinted, but couldn't make it out and the figure drew closer.

"Andrew? Is that you? God, don't scare me like that again!" Monica scolded, but as the form waded through the fog, she knew that it wasn't her boyfriend.

"Don't you know that it's dangerous in Mystic Falls at night?" Cassandra smiled wickedly, her wild hair splayed over her shoulders. Blood covered her lips and was splattered over her naked skin. Fangs lengthened as the hybrid lunged for Monica's throat, tearing it out viciously. Crimson hues clouded her eyes as warm liquid spurted along her tongue. The hybrid welcomed each glorious mouthful and she moaned at the rich taste. She knew that her hunger would hardly be satisfied after being locked up in the basement and starved for days, but this would do for now. Her nails ripped into Monica's skin, holding her tightly and in seconds, Monica's body was cold and limp in Cassandra's hold. She threw the body to the ground and tore off her shirt and pants, pulling on the clothes over her bloodied skin. Cassandra sighed happily as the high from her feeding coursed through her veins. It was euphoric.

"Causing quite a stir around here, aren't you?" Klaus growled as he walked further into the clearing, still holding Damon tightly.

"What's it to you?" Cassandra licked her lips. "What are you doing back here? I thought that Silas ran you out of town."

Klaus smirked and tossed Damon to the ground. "He did. And I'm risking my hide to come back and try to get you back to your normal self."

"Why bother? I'm too far gone to be saved." She said vindictively. "Isn't that right, Damon?" The vampire looked up at her sadly and got to his feet.

"C'mon, Cass. You're not too far gone." He tried to reason with her. "Just come home, alright?"

"No. I'm not coming home." She hissed and Klaus rolled his eyes before grabbing Damon roughly by the throat and pinned him to the trunk of a tree.

"Either you be a good girl and go home, or I'm killing him." Klaus warned darkly and Stefan and Elena rushed into the clearing.

"Klaus! Let him go!" Stefan ordered.

Cassandra chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Kill him? Please, you'll snap his neck and he'll wake up a few hours later with a headache and a stiff neck."

"How about I do you one better?" The Original hybrid then sunk his hand inside Damon's chest and held his heart in his hand. His other hand was at his throat and fear flashed through Damon's blue eyes. "Go home, Cassandra, or I will kill him. Make no mistake."

For the slightest moment, Cassandra's face dropped, but she quickly recovered and leered at Klaus. She knew that he wouldn't dare kill Damon. It was all an act. It had to be. "You're bluffing."

One rough yank and Damon's eyes fell back in his sockets. His body crumpled to the ground and Klaus's hand held Damon's bleeding heart. Cassandra gasped aloud, her mouth hanging open in complete and utter horror. Her eyes were glistening with tears and she gave a small whimper when her gaze fell on the heart in Klaus's hand. Stefan and Elena moved to rush forward, but Klaus raised a hand to them.

"Make another move and you two will be next." He threatened and the two vampires halted in their places. Cassandra opened and closed her mouth, speechless that Klaus actually...killed her one and only love.

"Damon..." Her switch was flipped back on and the first emotion that surfaced was anger. Extreme hatred and fury. She jumped at Klaus, arms and hands flailing wildly at him. She managed to claw at his face, but he stood stoically and blocked her assaults.

"I hate you!" She cried. "You piece of shit! I hate you!"

"You hate me? Good!" Klaus sneered, taking her wrists in his hands. "I want you to feel all of that anger and hate. I killed the love of your life and there wasn't a think you could have done about it." Cassandra pushed against him even harder, her eyes turning red with rage. Klaus just continued to hold her wrists tighter, nearly snapping them. Her gaze wandered to Damon's dead body and in seconds, Cassandra's emotional plane shifted and tears fell down her cheeks. Sick to her stomach, she dropped to her knees, sobbing and wailing. She couldn't hear his heartbeat. He was gone...

"Every morning when you wake up, he won't be beside you anymore. You will have to live the rest of your eternity. That's grief, sorrow, and despair." Klaus said softly as he let go of her wrists and crouched down in front of her. Cassandra's shoulders shook with heavy sobs, tears streaming freely and Stefan and Elena looked on sadly as Klaus broke her down to nothing. The female hybrid crawled to Damon's body and gently cradled his head in her lap. She softly stroked his hair, muttering a thousand apologies and wishes that this was all just a horrible dream.

"Now, what if I told you that this," Klaus held up the heart in his hand and she cried out. "Is not Damon's heart."

Watery eyes flicked up to meet his blue orbs and she held her breath. "I...I don't understand."

"The heart of a pig." Klaus spoke and extended it to her, but she looked around wildly as if not knowing what to believe. "Look." He pulled Damon's leather jacket aside and let Cassandra watch the hole healing. Just before the skin stitched itself back together, she saw a glimpse of Damon's heart resting inside his chest. Stefan and Elena kept themselves quiet, but did smile to one another. Klaus tossed the heart to the ground, shrugging nonchalantly. "Some farmer now has a dead pig on his hands."

"But...Damon's heart. It's not beating." She whispered.

"That's easy." He pointed to Damon's limp neck. "Snapped his neck so his heart would stop beating."

Cassandra's shoulders sagged as she felt Damon lightly stirring in her lap. She brushed his hair off his closed eyes and shook her head. A rush of relief washed over her and she felt her heart lifting up in her chest. It reminded her of an emotion that seemed so distant and just out of reach.

The Original watched the tiniest of smiles grace her lips and he smiled too. "Joy. That's emotion, Cassandra. That's humanity."

"You...you all knew?" She looked curiously at them.

Stefan, Elena, and Klaus all nodded. "It was a crazy plan, but it worked." The green-eyed vampire said.

"Are you going to be okay, Cassandra?" Elena knelt down beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"No...I'm not okay." She whimpered and Elena frowned. "But I will be."

* * *

Hours later, Damon sucked a breath into his lungs and his body erected from the bed beneath him. His blue eyes danced over every surface in the room and he realized that he was in his room. He ran a hand through his mused hair and rubbed at his aching neck.

"Ow..."

"You think that hurt you?" Cassandra's low growl came from the large window. She was facing away from him, a glass of bourbon in her hand and her right hip jutted out. "Imagine what it did to me."

He climbed out of bed and walked slowly to meet her. She watched his reflection in the glass draw closer and her grip around the glass clenched. Suddenly, she whipped around to strike him with the glass, but he caught her arm. Her cheeks were still wet with tears and she dropped the glass before falling into him.

"I thought you were dead, Damon!" She screamed and shoved him. "I actually believed that you were dead!"

"Cassandra, I-" Damon stopped talking when her hand struck his cheek. Four red claw marks split his skin and he would have reacted, but he knew that Cassandra would be furious with him after this plan.

"You're a sick son of a bitch! I can't believe you called Klaus to help you!" She fumed loudly and beat at his chest. "You bastard! I hate you!" Her arms grew heavy quickly and her screams turned to whimpers. Her knees buckled and Damon caught her, wrapping his arms tightly around her trembling form.

"Shh, shh. It's okay. I got you." He told her softly.

"You were so cold...and your heart wasn't beating." Cassandra bawled weakly. "My heart broke, Damon. I cried for you."

"I know you did." Damon kissed her hair. Her emotions were out of control. She was fluctuating from anger to sadness to a mix of affection and longing.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for all of the pain I've caused you." She clung to him, her fists clenched his shirt. Tears stained the dark fabric as she cried into his chest.

Damon led her over to the bed and sat her down. He settled himself beside her and cupped her cheeks. "I forgive you, Cass." He said sincerely and wiped her hot tears. Her bottom lip quivered and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. His arms wrapped warmly around her again and he gently rocked them back and forth. For a while, he just let her cry and he cooed to her how much he loved her and that he forgave her. Cassandra let her emotions run amuck and she allowed her pent up feelings to completely drain out of her. Her cries did calm and the two were just sitting in silence until Damon spoke again.

"I heard about Klaus and the baby."

Cassandra peered up at him tiredly and nodded. "Rebekah told me and...I just snapped."

"I did too." He nodded.

"Yeah, but you didn't go on a complete rampage." She grumbled. "I killed innocent people, I hurt you, I...I bit Caroline."

Damon took her hands in his. "She is okay. Klaus helped her."

"You of all people called the big-bad wolf to help you?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, I didn't want to, but you left me no choice." Damon ruffled her curls. "But the plan was my idea, so I get all of the credit."

The corners of Cassandra's lips upturned in a little smirk. "Of course. You always think of plans."

"And they always work." He said.

"Even if they're crazy." Cassandra sighed and leaned against him. "I think I've had enough for today."

"You said it." Damon kissed her temple and then reached into his pocket, fishing out her ring. "I think this belongs to you."

"I thought that bad girls don't get nice jewelry?" She tilted her head coyly as he slipped the band of diamonds onto her finger.

"Consider this as being on parole." He teased and kissed the back of her hand.

"I'll be good. I promise." Cassandra smiled and gently kissed his lips. It felt so good to kiss him and be close to him again. They had been apart ever since she flipped her switch and it was unbearable for Damon not to pull her close and sweep her off her feet.

"I love you." Damon whispered against her lips.

"I love you too." She smiled warmly. They crawled into bed, snuggling under the covers and into one another as their eyes drooped tiredly. No words were needed to be spoken as they let sleep take them away. Just before Cassandra drifted off, she felt Damon's arms wrap around her waist and she couldn't help but smile to herself. She was finally home.

* * *

****Only one more chapter and then the season finale! Whoa! I hope you all enjoyed this update and I apologize for the long wait. Please review :D****

* * *

**SomebodyWhoCares: Thanks for your review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I think Damon should get her a puppy or something fluffy and cute :D You're not the first person to suggest that idea!**

**Tvdlover87654: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Cassandra was really set off hearing the news about Klaus and so was Giuliana. Needless to say, the last two chapters are in the works and I'm working hard to make sure they are perfect :)**

**Silently Tearful: Thanks for reviewing! I hate Rebekah too! She's really vindictive and likes to hurt people :( I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**vikki dillard: Thanks girl :)**

**xoxobianca13: Thanks for reviewing, girl! Klaus and Giuliana are certainly a pair, but Giuliana and Elijah have some budding chemistry too! Cassandra and Damon are always a class act :) Giuliana and Hayley were interesting to write together even though the despise one another, but perhaps they'll become friends. I can't wait till the end of season 4 and I'm anxious to see what curve balls season 5 will have for me. I can kinda hear my anxiety level rising already, LOL!**

**ADORATIO: Thanks for your review, girl :D**

**sarahmichellegellerfan1: Thanks so much for your numerous reviews! I hope you enjoyed this update :)**

**Guest: Yeah, Cassandra did turn it off, but she was able to turn it back on in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this update!**

**CharmedGirl92: Thank you for reviewing, girl! Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one! Elijah and Giuliana's chemistry will be explored in The Originals, but I can't wait to get started :)**

**Guest: Let me clear up your confusion. Cassandra was not pregnant. It was all Silas toying with her head and Damon's too. I apologize if that wasn't clear, but I hope it's all cleared up! Thanks for reviewing :D**

**Whitttyyy76: Thanks for reviewing, girl! I agree that emotionless Cassandra is a badass, but she pretty mean too. Klaus and Giuliana have a lot of chemistry, but the news of the baby might cause Giuliana to back off a little. She and Elijah have a little chemistry too, so I'm interested to see where that all goes. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D**

**Alaina: Every word?! Really?! Haha, thanks girl :)**

**Simone140089: Thank you for reviewing! Well, Cassandra didn't have her emotions for too long, but she certainly did some damage.**

**Carla: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad that this is keeping you satisfied with the hiatus now and I'm happy that you're enjoying my story :)**

**Little-doodle-laura5663: Thank you for reviewing! Hope you liked this update :)**

**sweetdreams705: Thanks for your review! Isn't The Originals amazing?! I am so so excited to watch it and write for it! When the show starts, I might do one chapter for The Originals and one for The Vampire Diaries, but I'm not sure yet. Hope you enjoyed this update :)**

**BBH50: Thank you for reviewing! I tried to take Cassandra out of her comfort zone and really try to make her do some unexpected things. Especially like biting Caroline when she's a werewolf. I hope you enjoyed this update :)**

**Lycan Lover 411: Thanks for reviewing! Rebekah likes to hurt others and unfortunately, she and Cassandra do not get along at all. I'd go as far to say that they hate each other. Hmm, I'll have to see what The Originals show brings and I'll play around with Giuliana and Marcel a little. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D**

**EveningStars1107: Thank you so much for reviewing :D I am over the moon that you enjoy my story and my characters! I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter and that you'll keep reading!**

**The Salvatore Chick: Thanks for reviewing! A lot of people share your opinion and I hope you enjoyed the little Klaus and Cassandra scene. They will have an upcoming scene in the Graduation chapter which I'm working on. I hope you enjoyed this update :)**

**Guest: That was intense, wasn't it? I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

**Guest: Here's your update and I hope you liked it!**

**Guest: Ahh, yeah I know that this chapter took a little longer than usual to get out, but it's here now :) I will be updating Love and Death: Bitten too, so keep an eye out for that update either tomorrow or Friday.**

**TruffleWomenz: Ahh, so so sorry for the late update, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait :)**

**Guest: Thanks for reviewing! I won't stop writing unless it becomes too much with school and work, but I will ALWAYS try my hardest to keep it going! I'm actually really excited to end season 4 and start off season 5.**


	27. The Walking Dead

**Does This Darkness Have A Name?**

**Chapter 27: The Walking Dead**

**Beta:****PrincessOfSilence - Check out her amazing stories! You won't be disappointed and she's absolutely fabulous :)**

**Disclaimer:****I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. I only own my characters and my story.**

* * *

"Mail call," Damon announced as he dropped an envelope in Cassandra's lap. She picked it up gingerly and examined it, smiling as her eyes scanned over the name. She hurriedly ripped open the seal and her smile grew even bigger when she read the invitation inside it.

"Oh," she beamed. "Of course."

"What is it?" Damon leaned over the back of the couch and propped his chin on her shoulder.

"One of my nieces is graduating high school in a few weeks." She told him. "Gabby. You met her at the wedding, right?"

"I didn't know that she was the same age as Elena." He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, she got accepted to Berklee College of Music in California. She's an amazing violinist." She said happily. "They grow up so fast." Cassandra remembered when Gabby was born and when she held her for the first time. She was so small and in a few weeks, she'd be entering the college world.

Damon kissed her cheek tenderly and squeezed her shoulders firmly. "You alright?"

"Mmhmm." Cassandra nodded and relaxed into the cushions. "I'm kind of her godmother and I just feel bad that I haven't been around for her that much. Stuff here has kept me pretty busy."

"Maybe we can head out there sometime." Damon played with her hair absentmindedly.

Cassandra smiled and turned her body to face him. "I'd like that a lot." She kissed him gently. "Do you know that it makes you so much more irresistible when you become a family man?"

The vampire smirked, taking a little nibble at her bottom lip. "Is that so? How irresistible?"

"Extremely," she purred softly and combed her fingers through his hair. The past couple of days ever since she turned her switch back on, she had a hard time adjusting and getting herself back in check, but Damon was there the entire time; he stood by her side and always assured her that she'd be okay even if she had taken some steps backwards. She had always asked herself how she managed to rope a man like Damon, it still crossed her mind every now and then, but the thought had been present more and more over the past few days. She really was the luckiest woman in the world and was proud to be called his wife.

"What's that face?" Damon's playful tone broke her loving stare; she didn't realize that she had been staring so intently.

"What face?" She wrinkled her nose.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's that goofy stare that's written across your face." He teased and tapped the tip of her nose with his finger she giggled, biting her bottom lip and met his gaze. In moments, that same look took over her features and Damon was now smiling like an idiot.

"That's it. That's the face." He proclaimed and Cassandra's smile only grew wider.

"I'm happy," she whispered softly, but Damon heard those two words and felt relief wash over him. The days prior had been brutal for the both of them and it soothed him to know that all of his effort had amounted to something. It was heartbreaking to see Cassandra go from such extremes, to being emotionless and detached to then having her emotions take over her so much so that she couldn't control which emotion surfaced. She gave a new meaning to the term "emotional roller coaster."

"Me too." Damon kissed her soundly. "Now how about you show your appreciation to you dashing, handsome, irresistible husband?"

His wife cocked her head to the side coyly. "I thought I've been showing it."

"Oh, you have." He replied simply. "But I've missed you." The way he uttered the word "you" made Cassandra's stomach flip anxiously. The look in his blue eyes held lust and longing for her blood and her body that he missed so dearly. They'd make love into the long hours of the night, but Damon couldn't seem to get used to the idea that she was completely his again. He missed everything about her and it killed him to lock her up like a prisoner, but he was overjoyed that the worst of it was over.

"Tell me what you've missed." She smirked and stood from the couch as if to challenge him, but she knew in her heart of hearts that wanted Damon to tear off her clothes and slip deep inside her. In a gust of wind, he was standing behind her, his hard body pressed against hers. Her eyes immediately fell closed as his hands were running paths all over any piece of skin that wasn't covered by clothing. Her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone, the skin in those places grew warm, a blush dusting her complexion. She hummed quietly when she felt Damon's lips at her ear.

"I've missed how your heart beats faster or how your skin turns a little pink." He spoke huskily as his hands traveled down her back, a lone finger tracing down her spine and she gave a shiver. "Or how you tremble when I get closer to place where you ache for me the most." His hands were now at her hips, the tips of his fingers sneaking underneath the bottom of her shirt to toy with the skin there. A smile graced her lips and she still kept her eyes closed, enjoying how heightened his sense of touch was. He was now playing with the top of her long skirt and he started to slide the fabric down her hips, but stopped. Damon chuckled at the sound of discontent that passed her lips and teasingly licked up and down the shell of her ear.

"Damon." It was a moan in hopes that he'd give up his little game and get down to the real fun, but he was taking too much enjoyment out of seeing her like this.

"I miss how you get mad at me when I tease you or how you writhe and moan, begging for more." His hand finally gave what she wanted and slipped beneath the waistband of her skirt. His short fingernails skimmed over her lacy covered core and she trembled wantonly.

"I've missed everything about you." She said quietly. "It was very lonely with my emotions off and I don't ever want to feel alone again." Damon's hand then left from under her skirt and he turned her around to face him. He kissed her forehead and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"You are never alone. Even if it feels like you are, you're not." He told her genuinely and pressed a passion filled kiss to her lips.

* * *

"Sheriff, we've got another one." Liz Forbes groaned inwardly hearing that news and she followed Dr. Fell down the hall.

"How many is this now?" The Sheriff asked.

"This one makes five. He's barely alive, but I was able to keep him stable." Meredith replied and led Liz to a hospital room on the other end of the wing. They locked the door behind them and Liz looked upon the sickly man in the bed. His wrists were cut open and he was attached to more machines than she'd ever seen in her life time. His skin was as white as the hospital sheets that he was wrapped in and Sheriff Forbes would have thought that he was dead were it not for the gently movement of his chest rising and falling.

"This is getting bad, Sheriff. What can I tell my nurses and orderlies?" The doctor hushed. "There are only so many excuses I can come up with and right now I'm running out of excuses. They're starting to get suspicious."

"I'll call the Salvatores. Hopefully they can shed some light on this situation. For now, we have to keep our heads held high and we have to stay strong for this town." Liz told her firmly and the doctor nodded.

* * *

Damon pressed his sweaty forehead against Cassandra's as he thrust deeply inside her. Eyes peered intimately into one another's and Cassandra tightened her hold on him. Her legs wound around his waist while her arms were looped under his, lightly scratching his back on each thrust. Beads of sweat slicked their bodies and clung to their hair as each pulsing buck brought them closer and closer to their undoing. Damon's cock wriggled and flailed within his wife's hot, dripping core and he grunted lowly. He quickened his pace feeling Cassandra tire out and took the lead. She fell against the bed limply, her muscles were already sore from their lovemaking, but she did try to meet each thrust he made inside her. She felt like the air around her was becoming thin and hard to breathe, making her pant even more as Damon's cock stroked her clenching walls. Her eyes fell closed and she could sense Damon's lips and hands all over her prickling skin. It was euphoric and intoxicating as she was brought even higher and closer to her completion. She tried to tell him that she was coming, but her voice was useless. No words left her lips beside the low moans of pleasure that was music to Damon's ears. He didn't need to be told that she was close, he could feel it. Her nails dug harder into his back, her body arched like an archer's bow, and her walls milked him deliciously. He removed her hands from his back and laced her fingers together with his. She looked up at him lovingly and watched him lose control. He buried himself deep inside her and held himself there as his balls drew up and he shot his come inside her. Each spastic spurt was accompanied by a roar from the vampire before finishing and collapsing on top of his wife. Cassandra lazily threaded a hand through his hair and basked in the intimate feeling of Damon still resting inside her. He kissed along her collarbone, his tongue lapping up any perspiration it touched and he chuckled hearing his wife purr softly.

"I missed that too." He kissed just below her ear and she looked curiously at him.

"Hmm?"

"When you purr. You sound like a cat." Damon chuckled.

"I do not purr." She shook her head.

"Sure you do." He smirked and ran his thumb under her bottom lip.

"Well, I'd rather purr than snore." She teased and he raised an eyebrow. "You snore in your sleep."

"I do not."

"Shh, let's not argue." Cassandra said coyly and pressed a kiss to Damon's lips. With him distracted, she rolled him onto his back and sat on his hips. She trailed a finger under his chin and Damon smiled genuinely against her soft lips. His hands danced up her sides, tracing her curves and the outline of her supple breasts. He leaned up, burying her face in the valley between her breasts and traced his lips over them. Cassandra's hands found his hair, twirling her fingers within the soft strands and hummed pleasantly.

* * *

"You just missed the doughnuts." Damon snarked sarcastically as his brother met him and Cassandra at the hospital. They wandered down the hallways to meet Sheriff Forbes who looked as if she was at her wits end.

"Yeah, I was with Elena, burning off a few thousand hate-filled calories." Stefan replied.

"She's still hell-bent on killing Katherine?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah, but she'll be okay," he said and looked to Sheriff Forbes. "What happened here?"

"Hey guys, thanks for coming." She said.

"Why were we invited?" Damon asked.

Liz sighed deeply and moved in closer, making sure that they wouldn't be overheard. "Well, the hospital has kept the blood banks empty ever since they were raided last month. We thought at the very least it would help keep the vampire population away."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "And it didn't?"

"See for yourself." Liz led them to the very room she was in earlier and showed them the patient Dr. Fell had just treated.

"Whoa," Damon murmured.

"There are four other victims in this wing, each one almost completely drained of blood. You think it's Silas?" The Sheriff asked.

"Or a doctor with some very questionable bedside manners." The raven haired vampire smirked and Cassandra elbowed.

"But 5 victims? That's a lot of blood, and it's not like he can take it with him." Liz said.

"Unless he's fueling up for something big." Stefan chimed in

Liz wrinkled her nose and frowned. "Big? Any details would be helpful, considering I'm dealing with five grieving families out there and a psychic killer on the loose."

"Silas wants Bonnie to do a spell to drop the veil from the Other Side." Cassandra told her.

"I have no idea what that means." The Sheriff shook her head.

"It's an invisible wall that separates our plane from the plane of all dead supernatural creatures. Now, Silas wants that to go away so he can take the cure, die, and not have to spend an eternity in a supernatural purgatory." She explained.

"And when do you suppose Silas plans on doing this?" Liz asked them.

"Next full moon." Damon replied. "Which, coincidentally, is..." He cast a glance to Cassandra who was always mindful of when the full moon was. She found that she was a stronger hybrid when the power of the full moon was on her side.

"Tomorrow night." She replied when the lights began to flicker overhead. "What the..." The bulbs above them then cut out all together, plunging the entire hospital into darkness.

"Creepy." Damon rolled his eyes and they all floundered around for some flashlights from the supply closet. Cassandra darted over to the window and peeked outside to see that it was dark and the winds were rattling the branches on trees.

"A storm?" She mused to herself as Sheriff Forbes was speaking with deputies on her walkie-talkie. Damon joined Cassandra by the window and wrinkled his nose at the gloomy sight.

"I don't remember hearing anything about a storm," he said quietly, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"It doesn't look good." The hybrid murmured. "Too suspicious."

"I would suggest Silas, but I don't think he has the power to control the weather." Her husband chuckled and brought her back to a table where Sheriff Forbes had laid out a large map of the town.

"Alright, thank you." Liz clicked off her walkie-talkie and clipped it back onto her belt. "Okay, so the power outages originated at three different places in town." She took a marker and proceeded to mark each of the three places with a dot. "The Young farm, the Lockwood estate, and a blown transformer off Old Miller Road." Cassandra then gestured for the marker and connected the dots to make a triangle.

"This is the Expression triangle." She said. "Each place represents a massacre done for Silas."

"Bonnie must be doing the spell." Stefan stared down at the map.

"So much for needing a full moon." His brother droned.

"And there's something else." Liz said and all three individual's held their breaths. "One of the power company guys has a daughter who goes to school with Bonnie. He saw her leaving the Young farm an hour ago... with Elena."

Cassandra wrinkled her nose. "But... Caroline's with Elena. I just spoke with her. They're at the Grill."

Damon huffed out a long sigh. "Looks like Bonnie Bennett has a new doppelganger friend."

"So, how do we find them?" The Sheriff asked warily.

Stefan took the marker from Cassandra. "Well, they must be somewhere in the triangle. My guess is that they would be right in the middle." He made a mark and circled it.

"And where exactly might that be?" The raven haired vampire asked, peering at the map.

* * *

Arriving at the school they saw Elena waiting for them with her hair blowing fiercely in the wind. The entire ride from the hospital to the school, Cassandra could feel Damon's car being tipped and rocked by the strong winds that had only gotten more violent as the night progressed. Damon parked and they exited the car, rushing to Elena while trying not to get blown away.

"Where's Caroline?" Cassandra shouted over the howling wind.

"Inside looking for Bonnie." Elena replied. "I think we should split up."

"Stef, you go find Caroline and take Elena with you. Damon and I can look outside while you three look inside." Cassandra said.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Typical."

Cassandra stared back incredulously at the young vampire and nudged Damon over to his brother. "Never mind. The Hardy Boys can take inside." She tugged Elena to her by her upper arm. "Elena and I will look outside."

"All right, let us know if you find anything." Stefan replied and the groups split up but not before Damon pulled his wife close and kissed her passionately.

"You be careful, alright?" He cupped her cheeks and she nodded.

"I will. You watch your back." She told him comfortingly and they parted ways.

"Come on, cranky." Cassandra groaned as she and Elena walked around the school.

"Where is Katherine?" Elena wrestled her arm free.

"How the hell should I know?" She growled. "Besides, I wouldn't tell you even if I did know."

"You know, don't you?" The vampire hissed.

"Don't you realize that the world is going to shit right now?" She waved her arms around exaggeratedly.

"Tell me that you don't want her dead. After everything that she did to you? She killed you in 1864." Elena said.

"Elena, we don't need to list all the reasons that I hate Katherine. What we need to do is find Bonnie." Cassandra sidestepped the vampire, but she stopped her.

"I don't care about Bonnie; I care about killing Katherine." She clenched her fists.

"Do you hear yourself? Bonnie is one of your best friends and you're telling me that you don't care about her?" The hybrid hissed. "Maybe you should do a little less threatening and a little more looking. Come on."

* * *

Stefan shook his flashlight around as he and Damon met up with Caroline who was searching in the cafeteria. "Hey, there you are. Any luck?"

Caroline shook her head. "I searched the whole school. She should be here."

"Come out, little witch." Damon crooned, shining his flashlight through the darkness. A dripping sound cut through the silence in the cafeteria and all three vampires exchanged a glance.

"What was that?" Caroline asked and they followed the sound to the kitchens. A beam of light was cast on the steel freezer and Stefan flew open the door. A wilting bag of ice was at the bottom and it was dripping onto the floor.

"Hmm, ice is melting." The green eyed vampire hummed.

"Very good, Stefan. Now, what's my name?" Damon smirked and Caroline rolled her eyes at the brother's bantering and shut the freezer door.

"Ugh. It just doesn't make any sense. This is the center of the triangle. If she's gonna do the spell, she has to do it here. This is where they should be." She said.

"Actually, I think we're in the right place..." Stefan trailed off and shined his flashlight onto the floor. Light reflected off of the water that was melting from the ice bag and it flowed down a drain. "Just the wrong elevation."

* * *

"If I remember correctly, I think there's an entrance in the basement." Cassandra said into her phone.

_"Well, where's the basement?"_ Damon asked her.

"Off the boiler room." The baby vampire said loud enough for the boys to hear.

_"All right, we'll meet you there."_ Stefan said and Cassandra nodded, hanging up her phone. Both girls then turned hearing an ominous noise echo through the halls.

"Did you hear that?" Cassandra murmured and Elena nodded. "You stay here."

"What?" Elena growled.

"You know how much I hate repeating myself." She huffed.

"Are you kidding me?"

"We really need to stop Bonnie from doing the spell, and if you get all murderous and screw it up-"

Elena flashed to stand right in front of Cassandra, a murderous look on her face. "Is that really the reason?"

"Listen, Elena. I completely understand how you're feeling, but behind your rage, there is a tidal wave of feelings. All of your guilt, all your grief, every emotion you've ever put off, and killing Katherine's gonna let it all in." Cassandra explained. "But you won't be able to handle it."

"And if I can? What if killing Katherine takes away all that grief and guilt? What if killing Katherine finally lets me feel all the good things that I've lost?" She posed and Cassandra pinched the bridge of her nose. "Cassandra, just help me. I know that you have the same feelings about Silas. Don't you want to kill him? Don't you want to cause him the same pain he caused you?"

"Of course I do, Elena. But I know that it won't make it better if I do kill him. As much as I feel angry and hurt and betrayed, I just have to deal with my emotions."

"As soon as I get over this hurdle, I'll be me. I'll be able to think clearly, I'll be myself, and everything will go back to normal." Elena promised and Cassandra shook her head.

"No, it won't; Katherine's strong and crafty. You'll die going up against her." The hybrid said and Elena frowned deeply. Cassandra began to walk further down the hallway and just when it seemed as if Elena had finally given up on killing Katherine, she pulled a stake from inside her jacket and stabbed Cassandra in the back. She cried out, blindly clutching at the piece of wood in an effort to take it out and Elena kicked her legs out from underneath her, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"At least I'll die trying." Elena said darkly, leaving Cassandra to moan and groan in the dark hallway.

"Good riddance to you!" The brunette yanked the stake from her back and tossed it angrily onto the tile floor. She groaned as the wound healed and heard footsteps drawing towards her. Her gaze lifted and horror struck her seeing who was standing above her. There was no way that it was possible.

"Need a hand?" Alaric extended his hand to her and Cassandra was at a loss for words.

"Oh my God..." She hushed and just stared up at him.

"C'mon, it's just a hand." He smiled warmly and helped her to her feet.

"This is really trippy." Cassandra took a few steps back from him and blinked her eyes a couple of times.

Alaric chuckled. "It's good to see you too, Cassandra."

"Uh, listen, this little reunion is sweet and all, but how do I know that you are who you say you are?" She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him cautiously.

"You think I'm Silas? Are you kidding me?" He asked her and sets of footsteps were rushing down the halls. The two looked up to see Damon, Stefan, and Caroline joining them. All three vampires were speechless as they saw the long deceased history teacher. They all knew that it had to be some kind of trick.

"What the hell is going on here?" Stefan asked agitatedly.

"It's Silas." Cassandra answered and moved closer to Damon who stood protectively in front of her.

"Guys, I'm not Silas." Alaric held his hands up defensively. "You have to believe me."

"Likely story!" Caroline snapped, clenching her fists at her sides.

"See, now this puts us in a bit of a pickle, because that is exactly what Silas would say." Damon clicked his teeth irritatingly.

"Prove that you're Alaric." The blonde said.

The teacher sighed and put his hands down. "Alright, how about that one time I came back to school to pick up some papers and I caught Damon and Cassandra just as he-"

"Ah! Hey! Hey! Hey!" Cassandra interjected loudly and she and Damon knew that Silas couldn't have possibly known that.

"You two broke my desk." He added and Cassandra's level of embarrassment only rose higher.

"It's him." Cassandra nodded and Stefan's eyes found the floor, clearly embarrassed while Caroline blushed beat red.

Damon carefully moved towards his long lost friend, examining them to see if he was actually real. A part of him still held a lot of doubt that this was a trick. Alaric then wanderer over to a set of lockers and pounded on one with his fist. The door opened and he fished out a bottle of bourbon which he uncapped and took a few sips.

"Now, would Silas know about Locker forty-two?" He asked him and the vampire's lips spread into a wry grin before embracing the history teacher tightly and laughing with one another. Cassandra, Stefan, and Caroline all let out a sigh of relief, knowing that Silas wasn't up to his old tricks again. It had been too long since they'd all seen him.

"Wait, hang on." Damon pulled back. "If I can see you and I can touch you." He patted his shoulder and then the side of his face.

"That means Bonnie dropped the veil." Caroline whispered.

Alaric shook his head. "Well, not completely. It's only down inside the Expression triangle. If I step outside of it, it's back to ghost world."

"Well, where is everybody?" The raven haired vampire asked. "I figured with the veil down, it'd be like Ghost-a-palooza."

"Well, not every ghost has a reason to come back to Mystic Falls." Ric said and looked to Damon. "Just the ones like me, looking after their idiot best friend and their wife."

"Mmhmm, that's my husband." Cassandra grinned and nudged him playfully with her elbow.

Damon smirked down at her and snuck a hand around her waist. "I'm more worried about the ones looking out for their enemies."

"Look, let's get back to searching for Bonnie." Caroline said and Cassandra agreed completely.

"I'll look for Elena and try to talk some sense into her." Stefan offered and went off to find her.

"Caroline and I will get to the basement. Bonnie's gotta be there." Cassandra said.

"Ric and I will take the third watch. We'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

* * *

"Thanks for coming with me, Cassandra." Caroline said thankfully as they moved through the dark tunnels with only a flashlight to guide them. "Even though I'm a vampire, I'm still a scaredy cat."

"That's okay. I still get scared too." Cassandra replied honestly and the two girls came into an atrium in the caves to see Bonnie crumpled on the ground. Caroline immediately ran to her friend, crouching beside her.

"Bonnie, are you okay?"

"Yeah, now that I unlinked her." The witch replied and Cassandra helped to bring her to her feet.

"Wait, unlinked?" The hybrid asked.

Bonnie wobbled a little on her own two feet, managed to steady herself. "I linked Katherine and I so she couldn't run and so Silas couldn't trick me. She must have gotten attacked and whatever happened to her happened to me."

"What are you doing down here?" Caroline wondered.

"Waiting for Qetsiyah." Bonnie said.

"You might be waiting a while." The blonde smirked and disappeared from the two other girls. Cassandra whipped around to see a man with a disfigured face behind them.

"Qetsiyah isn't coming, Bonnie." The man replied and Cassandra was quickly becoming repulsed by his gruesome appearance. Scars painted his face, twisting and distorting the skin into something horrifying.

"Silas." The hybrid swallowed thickly. She was now seeing him as his true face and this was the face that could be in the stories mothers would tell their children of the monsters under their beds.

"How? I thought you couldn't get inside my head." Bonnie said.

That's what I wanted you to think. I can make you see whatever I want you to see." With each step Silas grew closer and the girls grew more and more frightened. "Am I a disfigured monster?" He then appeared in front of Cassandra disguised as Damon and she jumped back, fear gripping her.

"Of course not." The man behind the mask chuckled. "The monster is what I wanted you to see." He then morphed back into Caroline again to stalk around Bonnie. "That's the beauty of all this. You have no idea who I am." The witch stood her ground, refusing to show any fear, but her resistant was slowly being chipped away at. Silas flashed around the cavern, becoming Stefan now.

"Or what I look like." He said darkly before changing back into his true form. "Or how deep I am inside of your head."

"You're sick!" Cassandra growled and the Stefan clone threw her up against a wall of rock.

"You thought that you were more powerful than me?" He said to Bonnie. "I am stronger than you can imagine. I defeated the Hunter's Curse in minutes. You thought that you could betray me? You can't. I will always be one step ahead."

* * *

Damon and Alaric reached the entrance of the boiler room just as the former's cell phone rang loudly. He rolled his eyes and answered the call.

"This better be some good news."

_"Where's Caroline?"_ Matt asked frantically.

"She's with Cassandra looking for Bonnie, why?" His nose wrinkled at the odd question.

_"No, she's not. That's not Caroline. It's Silas."_ Both Alaric and Damon tensed hearing what the footballer had to say.

"You've got to be kidding me." Damon deadpanned.

_"Caroline's been here this whole time - that means Silas is with you."_ Matt said.

"Perfect."

_"Yeah, it gets worse. The veil's down. Kol came by looking for Elena and he seemed a little pissed."_

"You got any good news for me, Donovan?" Damon asked sarcastically.

_"We'll handle this, just...watch your back."_ The quarterback then hung up the phone before Damon could growl some profanities at him.

"Alright, call Stefan and tell him not to let Elena out of his sight. He needs to be on her like white on rice." He dictated to Ric.

"Can you not talk about someone being 'on' my pseudo daughter?" The teacher groaned. "What are you going to do about Silas?"

Damon's eyes grew cold and his shoulders squared off. "I have to find Cassandra. I'm not having Silas get to her and having a repeat of trying to get my wife back on the wagon."

"But you'd do it again and you know that." Ric told him.

"Of course I would." He agreed and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Call Stefan. I'm going after her."

* * *

"Stay away from her." Cassandra stood in front of the witch and Silas was now back to being Caroline.

"I can't do that until she does the spell. Then, when the veil is dropped completely, I can take the cure." She reached into her pocket and produced the very thing that everyone had been fighting for and Cassandra kept her eyes glued to it.

"I just want to pass on. I'll even let you kill me. I'll be out of your lives for good."

"Don't tempt me." The hybrid hissed.

"But every dead supernatural creature will be roaming the earth." Bonnie chimed in.

The blonde took a few slow steps towards the girls. "Well, if you don't help me, I'll be roaming the earth."

Bonnie glared at her friend. "I was never gonna drop the veil."

"Well, that's a shame." Caroline then appeared behind her and smashed her head against a rock formation, knocking her out.

"Bonnie!" Cassandra rushed to her but Silas, back to himself, held a hand out. In a matter of seconds, Cassandra felt all of the air around her that was once plentiful disappear. Her chest burned, her lungs aching for oxygen and she fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

"You feel that, Cassandra? The air thinning, barely enough to breathe." He hissed and she would have come up with a witty remark, but she couldn't find the air to fuel her speech.

"Cass! Cassandra!" Damon's voice echoed throughout the tunnels and she was filled with hope that he was coming for her.

"That sounds familiar." Silas smirked before morphing into Alaric and Cassandra peered up at him, clutching at her throat. "Maybe I should pay Damon a visit."

Anger surged through her entire being and she used all of her force to get back on her feet, but she let out a silent cry feeling her head getting squeezed. Pain, excruciating pain flowed through her skull as she endured the bone nearly collapsing around her brain. She fisted her hair, falling back down to the ground and tried to scream, but the pain was crippling and the lack of air was also a hindrance. She gave one last look to Alaric just in time for his foot to meet her face with a strong kick. Dazed and confused, Cassandra crouched on the cold floor on her hands and knees. Bonnie was still unconscious and the hybrid tried in vain to call out to warn Damon but all that came out were some strangled breaths.

"..." Cassandra slammed her fist against the floor in frustration. The words were there, but she couldn't get them out. Her limbs were starting to get numb and she was feeling lightheaded as the seconds ticked on. "..." Just as she took her final gasping breaths, a hard smack on her back broke her asphyxiation. She coughed violently and took in all of the air around her that was suddenly in abundance. The pain in her skull had disappeared as well, waning until it was nothing more than a slight headache.

"Jeez, you never were good at that breathing thing." A playful voice chuckled behind her and Cassandra remained on her hands and knees for a few moments as if frozen in shock. Perhaps the lack of oxygen had gotten to her and she was hallucinating.

"No, you're not hallucinating." The voice giggled innocently and Cassandra was now looking upon someone she missed every day.

"V-Vanessa?" She whimpered, now fully conscious of the blonde haired, green eyed vampire in front of her.

"The one and only." She beamed brightly and helped Cassandra to stand. For a few silent moments, the two women just looked at one another, staring blatantly.

"Don't just stand there! Give me a hug for Christ's sake!" Vanessa threw her arms around her friend, squeezing her tightly and Cassandra chuckled. She knew that this was her friend and not Silas.

"I missed you." Cassandra could feel tears coming on but Vanessa pulled back and wagged her finger at her.

"Nah, ah. None of that. Come on, we have to get to Silas before he finds Damon." She took her hand, dragging her along.

"Wait! What about-"

"I'll take care of my granddaughter." Sheila Bennett appeared beside the two of them and moved to Bonnie who was coming too.

* * *

"Damon! Damon!" Cassandra shouted as she and Vanessa ran through the assortment of winding tunnels.

"We're coming up on the north wing of the school." Vanessa told her. "Make a left here."

"Hang on. How do you know this school better than I do?" Her friend asked, but followed her directions. "You didn't even go here."

"Oh, be quiet and just follow me." The blonde led Cassandra to yet another space in the caves. Damon and Alaric were standing there and the hybrid's instincts immediately kicked in. She jumped on Alaric's back, strangling him with her arms and he tried to shake her off him.

"Cassandra, it's me. It's Ric." He gasped.

"No, you're not!" She shouted and speared her fingers in his eyes. Alaric howled and thrashed about, but Cassandra held on for dear life as hot blood and eye juice ran over her hands. He managed to back them into the wall, crushing her body there and she loosened her grip just a touch. Reaching behind him, Alaric grabbed at Cassandra's hair and tore her off him, ripping a chunk of hair out of her scalp. Blood stained his cheeks and his eyes were now healed over as he stalked to the hybrid, but was stopped by both Damon and Vanessa wrapping chains around him. The raven haired vampire had his neck while Vanessa wrestled with his arms and legs.

"C'mon, Damon. Don't you recognize your own pal?" Ric groaned and the vampire tightened the chain that was digging into his neck.

"Your mind games don't work on me, Silas." He told him.

"I may not be able to kill you, but I will stop you." Bonnie's voice boomed as she joined them. She closed her eyes, deep in concentration and a sudden breeze picked up in the tunnels. "I will make the blood clot in your veins. I will make every bone, muscle and joint in your body turn to stone. You won't have power over us anymore." They all watched in awe as Silas hid his face with his hand and his body started to harden drastically.

"What's happening?" Cassandra asked, unable to tear her eyes away from it.

"He can't hide behind his mind-control anymore. He's becoming his true self." The witch replied as Silas completely turned to stone.

"Who exactly might his true self be?" Damon walked around the statue, trying to get a good look at Silas's face, but it was hidden by his hand.

Bonnie shook her head, sighing. "I guess we'll never know."

* * *

Sometime later, Alaric, Cassandra, and Damon were helping to lug Silas's body inside the trunk of Damon's car. They huffed and puffed, but with all of their vampire strength combined it was still a task. They had planned to dump Silas into the ocean, much like they were going to do with Klaus, but this plan would be seen through. They were sure of it. If Silas ingested even the smallest drop of blood, he would come back to haunt the earth, so they had planned to lock him up in the safe where Cassandra had spent many days and nights when she had her emotions shut off.

"Calcified Silas is one heavy son-of-a-bitch." Damon groaned and slammed the trunk shut. Cassandra reached through the passenger side window, pulling out a flask, but Damon snatched it from her.

"Hey!" She smacked his arm.

"Hey, nothing." Her husband took a few long swings. "I just lugged a stone body from those tunnels to my car. I need a drink."

"And what did I do? Stand there and look pretty? I helped too." Cassandra propped herself to sit up on the trunk and Damon patted her thigh.

"Of course you did, love." He grinned from ear to ear and gently kissed her.

Alaric watched on happily, much like what he'd been doing since his death and was thrilled that the couple had managed to get hitched and stay married in a town like Mystic Falls. "I can't think of a more appropriate way to spend my last moment as a semi-living person."

Damon broke the kiss and peered over at his friend. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have some place better to be?" Damon joked and Alaric chuckled at that.

"Guess not." He then took the bottle from Damon and drank some.

"I thought you were cutting back." The vampire tilted his head.

Alaric scoffed. "Yeah, well, I thought you and Cassandra were gonna take care of the children."

"You heard that?" Cassandra gaped at him and he nodded.

"Well, that's not creepy." Damon added.

"Having all of the fun without me?" Vanessa jeered as she pranced over to them.

"Thanks for helping back there, blondie." Damon smiled at her.

"No problem. It was just awesome watching this one," Vanessa nudged Cassandra. "Go absolutely crazy on Silas."

Cassandra let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah, that was pretty awesome, right?"

"They'll write songs about you." The blonde cheered excitedly. The four of them spent some more time chatting with one another until Bonnie approached to tell them that she had to put the veil back up. They all grew silent and Cassandra and Vanessa slid off the trunk of Damon's car. The hybrid gently hugged Alaric and Damon held Vanessa. They exchanged their tearful goodbyes before switching ghosts. Cassandra started cry and Vanessa led her to a quieter part of the woods, but not before glancing knowingly back to Alaric. Damon moved to follow the girls, but Ric placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"I, ah, I found this." The teacher pulled out a small box from inside his jacket pocket and handed it to Damon. "In the dead guy's pocket. Thought it might do more use here than, say, three miles below sea level." Damon flipped open the lid and fished out the cure, holding it up.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" He asked his friend.

Alaric smiled sincerely and clapped Damon on the back. "Get what you and Cassandra want."

* * *

"There's never enough time." Cassandra said sadly and used the back of her hand to wipe her tears.

I know." Vanessa nodded solemnly. "But I have to say, being able to help all of you tonight was the best night of my ghostly life."

Cassandra tried to laugh to lift her spirits, but in moments, Vanessa would be gone again. "I just wish that things were different sometimes..."

"What do you mean?" The girl asked curiously.

"That you were still here. I wish I knew what your life could have been like." She admitted tearfully.

Vanessa frowned and took Cassandra's hands, squeezing them gently. "You remember what I told you in Denver?" The brunette nodded. "I'm always watching over you. Just think of me as a guardian angel."

"But I'll never know what you would have done with your life, Vanessa. You were so young and had your eternal life ahead of you." She whimpered.

"I know I did and there are some things that I wanted to do with my life before I died, but it's okay that I didn't." Her friend told her comfortingly. "But I know one thing is definitely for sure."

"What's that?"

"That I'd be here with you and Damon and everyone here. You think I'd rather be anywhere else?" Cassandra smiled at that and dried some of her tears. "Although some days I don't know how you guys do it. I'm surprised that you and Damon don't run off more often." She joked playfully.

"It still boggles my mind sometimes." Cassandra giggled and hugged her friend. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Cassie." Vanessa said softly. "But remember, if either you or Damon step out of line, I'll be on the other side trying to knock some sense into you."

The girls pulled apart and Cassandra let out a long breath, this was it. She turned on her heel and made her way through the woods when she stopped to look at Vanessa again. The blonde was still there and she waved at Cassandra who returned it and started to walk back to Damon's car.

* * *

Back at the boarding house, Damon stared down at the small vial in his hand for the millionth time that night. Cassandra was sound asleep, but he was practically pacing the floors. He twiddled the cure in between his fingers, his mind running a million miles a minute. He finally had the cure, he was staring right at it, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Cassandra that it was theirs. He would, but he wanted to wait.

"Damon?" Her silky, sleepy murmur shook him from his thoughts and he promptly placed the cure back in the box it had come from and slipped the box in his drawer. "You coming to bed?"

He looked at her over his shoulder and smiled genuinely. She hugged her pillow close to her, propping her chin on it and waiting for an answer from him. Her eyes were barely staying open and a little puffy from crying the whole way home. They both shed tears for their friends, but Damon was always seldom to show it. She rubbed a hand over her eyes and burrowed herself under the blankets, but still kept her eyes on him. Damon's smile only grew and his heart beat just a little bit faster, imagining her reaction to hearing about finally having the cure.

"Yeah, I'm coming." She nodded tiredly and yawned, patting Damon's side of the bed to communicate for him to hurry up. He chuckled and gripped the bottom of his shirt, pulling it over his head and discarding it on the floor along with his pants. He snuck into bed beside his wife and she curled into him like a kitten, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. She placed a lazy kiss there, making Damon shiver and his arms wrapped around her body. His gaze landed on the now closed drawer, reminding himself that tomorrow would be the day for them.

Tomorrow everything would change.

* * *

**What will Damon do now that he has the cure? Will he and Cassandra finally have their dreams of having their own family come true? Stay tuned for the epic finale and please review :D**

* * *

**Tvdlover87654: ***hands you tissues* Thank you, girl! I'm really happy that you enjoyed it! It's really insane that the finale is the next chapter! I had to work in Klaus and they will have a little scene in "The Graduation" episode as well. Stay tuned!

**sweetdreams705: **I hope that you liked the twist I did with Cassandra. For a moment, I forgot that Cassandra wouldn't be burned by the sun, so I had to improvise a little, LOL! A lot of people were shocked with Klaus being brought into the chapter! Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this update :)

**xoxobianca13: **Thank you for reviewing, girl! Damon and Cassandra are awesome together and I wish Julie would give Damon someone like Cassandra in the show. Season 5 and the finale should be a real challenge to write, but some ideas for the finale are coming to me. As for The Originals, I'm not sure if I'll keep it with TVD story and do one chapter for one and alternate chapters. I'll decide that when I see both shows and figure it out :)

**SomebodyWhoCares: **A little puppy would be adorable! What breed? Hmm...a yellow lab? Cassandra needs a puppy :-P Thanks for reviewing!

**sarahmichellegellarfan1: **YAY! I'm happy that Cassandra's back too! Thank you for reviewing :D

**TheSalvatoreChick: **Glad you enjoyed the Cassandra and Klaus scene! They will have a scene in the upcoming chapter which will be a little bittersweet for the both of them. Klaus will be going to New Orleans since Giuliana and Hayley are still there. I am planning on having a story that will follow Klaus/Giuliana/Elijah in New Orleans which will follow "The Originals" plot line. Thanks for reviewing, girl :D

**Guest: **Thank you for reviewing! Many readers were surprised with Klaus's return, but I knew that Damon would want to do whatever he could to get Cassandra back even though it involved calling Klaus. I wish Klaus didn't have to leave, but I am really excited for "The Originals" show! Klaus and Cassandra will get their goodbye in "The Graduation" chapter, so stay tuned :)

**TruffleWomenz: **Thanks for reviewing! Glad you think that it was worth the wait! I hate having you guys wait, but I want to make sure that my chapters are perfect :)

**Guest: ***hands you tissues* Thank you for leaving a review! I hope there will never come a day when Damon dies in the show. I think I'll just run myself off a cliff because writing it will be heartbreaking. Until that day comes, I'll write Damon and Cassandra being happy with one another :)

**Lycan Lover 411: **Thanks for reviewing, lovely :) Her turning into a wolf was a last minute thought that came to mind and I was like, "Yes! This is awesome!" Klaus showing up was definitely a surprise and I am thrilled that lots of readers liked it! I can't take credit for using the pig's heart - that idea goes to my beta. She's honestly the best and so creative! She's fabulous! If you don't already, read her stories! I'm glad you enjoyed that last chapter!

**EmmyLewyxxo: **Thank you for reviewing! I wish that Cassandra was an actual character too! I try to fit her in as much as I can to the show and I'm glad you enjoy reading this story :)

**vikki dillard: **Thanks for the review, girl!

**sarahhxx: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that Cassandra is back to normal too :)**

**Thenchick: Thanks for reviewing :) Hmm, as far as Caroline goes. She hates Damon for her own reasons and so does Klaus. Damon tends to piss off a lot of people as much as I love him. I think siring strictly has to do with blood sharing. (i.e. dying with a vampire's blood in your system and becoming a vampire.) Klaus and Caroline could just share the same opinion.**

**Thenchick: Another review? Thank you so much :D Here's your update! I like the Giuliana/Elijah interaction too and I am hoping to continue it in "The Originals" story when I start it. I don't like Hayley either...nope, hate her. I don't know why, but I don't think anyone likes her. Oh well -.- I've never seen H2O, I'll have to watch it, but I hope you enjoyed this update :)**


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